A new Covid testing method which takes just 10 minutes could speed up testing for travel, say developers from the University of Birmingham.
The test, known as the Exponential Amplification Reaction (EXPAR) method, was found to be just as sensitive as PCR or LAMP testing, currently used in hospital settings - with results appearing within 10 minutes of a sample being given.
The test “can be deployed at entertainment venues, airport arrival terminals, and in remote settings where clinical testing laboratories are not available,” states the University’s website, adding that developers are now seeking commercial partners for rapid licensing, to get the new style of test rolled out.
“The testing used swabs containing a typical range of viral loads seen during the pandemic, and had a six-minute cut-off time,” explained Professor Andrew Beggs, whose team worked on the new test.
“The analysis showed RTF-EXPAR’s sensitivity is equivalent to quantitative PCR testing, with a positive predictive value of 89 per cent, and a negative predictive value of 93 per cent. We expect to publish the full results of this testing in the near future.”
In other news, US travellers will have to wear masks on flights until at least January 2022, as the US’s Transportation Security Administration extends the ‘mask mandate’ previously set until September 2021.
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