The test was developed by DnaNudge, a new technology company at Imperial College. The co-founder and CEO of the company is the Greek-Cypriot professor Chris Toumazou, electrical engineer and innovative inventor, founder of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering of the Imperial. His collaborator, co-founder since 2015 of DnaNudge and leading scientist is the Greek Dr. Maria Karvela, graduate of the Department of Biology of the University of Athens, with a PhD from the University of Glasgow.
Researchers at Imperial College London, led by Infectious Diseases Professor Graham Cook and published in the journal Microbiology The Lancet Microbe, tested the test on 386 patients and medical staff at the National Health Service.
The test, which is done by taking a sample from the nose and then detects traces of coronavirus genetic material, does not require a laboratory and can be performed on a portable device smaller than a mobile phone. It has already started to be used in eight London hospitals and its use is to be extended throughout Britain. The British government has already ordered 5,8 million such tests worth 1.161 million.
"Many tests necessarily sacrifice accuracy for the sake of speed or vice versa, but the new test manages to combine both," said Dr. Cook.
As Mr. Toumazou stated, “the DnaNudge test offers very important possibilities for mass population control during the Covid-19 pandemic. "It is suitable for conducting tests in medical and non-medical environments, such as nursing homes, schools, transport hubs, offices and even theaters." However, before this can happen, further tests of the test must be done.
Researchers are even trying to further develop the test, which simultaneously detects influenza type A and B viruses, along with the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
See the scientific publication here: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanmic/article/PIIS2666-5247(20)30121-X/fulltext
Source: https://www.kathimerini.gr