New at-home COVID test can detect specific variants in just an hour

[SheltieLover]

https://m.jpost.com/health-science/new-at-home-covid-test-can-detect-specific-variants-in-just-an-hour-676133/amp

The device, which costs just $15, can detect specific coronavirus variants and is about 95% effective at detecting infections.

A new at-home coronavirus test developed by scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University and Boston-area hospitals can tell users within an hour if they're infected with COVID and with what variant they're infected.
Most at-home tests currently available are rapid antigen tests, which are not as reliable as the PCR tests available at official testing and healthcare centers. Testing for specific variants of the novel coronavirus is even less accessible, with a lack of global access to genetic testing causing delays in tracking and responding to new variants around the world.

Tracking variants has become a key part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic, as new variants have been found to increase infectivity and resistance to vaccines, with a recent Israeli study finding that the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine was only 40% effective against symptomatic cases of the virus.

Snip

The new Minimally Instrumented SHERLOCK (miSHERLOCK) device aims to fix these issues by providing an easy-to-use, affordable test that uses a saliva sample to test for the virus and specific variants and can be assembled using a 3D printer and commonly available components for about $15 (that price could drop to $2 or $3 if the device is mass-produced).

More at link.

On Edit: this article states this test to be 95-96% accurate.

[Rhiannon12866]

1. K&R! Sounds like great news!

And desperately needed.

[SheltieLover]

3. For sure!

[madville]

2. Disappointed, I thought this was something available now

Sounds like its just a prototype and a DIY concept at the moment. I'm not buying a 3D printer and learning how to use it to build my own lol.

[SheltieLover]

4. Same here

But sounds promising.

I'll sure buy a couple when available!

Hopefully soon!