Without any definite cure for the coronavirus, researchers at the University of Oxford came up with coronavirus test to check, if anyone is sick with the COVID-19 disease it causes. The test is reputed to be about three times faster, than most testing kits and needs few instruments to administer it too.
All these benefits from the test include detecting patients with the virus at its earlier stage, compared to other kits. Best of all, the result can be interpreted without any fancy equipment as well. Which can be used by health services, and more accessible to most health personnel.
How fast is the Oxford test?
Using the Oxford-developed test, it will have the results in about 30-minutes, more expeditious methods that target viral RNA that are similar to this test has results in 1.5-2 hours. Most of these tests have been confirmed as effective with real samples of the virus from the Shenzhen Luohou People's Hospital in China.
All test done are 16 in total, with both positive and negative viral content, during lab tests with 100% success rate, that is positive feedback on the efficacy of the test.
Is it that different from similar coronavirus tests?
This test is significant if it is effective at scaling could eliminate most of the limiting factors of current tests. This shows that it is better than prior testing methods. Part of the process is isolating the COVID-19 RNA, and convert the RNA to DNA. This test method of testing DNA in a microbiology laboratory is used by techs that with specialized polymerase chain reaction machine to detect coronavirus.
Does it need complex machines to use?
Most tests are different from the Oxford tests. For one thing, the Oxford test will need simple equipment to do the analysis, and cross-reference the results of the sample. It is an attractive proposition when it can be sent to remote locations, or labs that are bare-basic to start with and not so specialized personnel working the machines.
Another innovative touch is that it is a Flexi-system and integrated hardware design. It is designed to be easily equipped in clinics, or airports, and even for home use as well.
Is it ready for common use by medical personnel?
This technology is promising, but it is relatively new as a lab diagnostic tool. Although it is not yet perfected, the steps are needed to be done for proper use. Compared to an anti-viral development, most testing equipment are not as difficult to approve, any equipment that deals with human patients is a dodgy issue.
Other specifics of the Oxford test
Testing many people is important to identify positive cases, and see how the Oxford test works. Compare to testing its population, the U.S. is lagging behind other countries. About 60,000 have been tested based on current data. This is not ideal if there is a high number of positive cases.
What cases are the subjects of this testing kit
Only the most critical and obvious cases are the object of all the Oxford test. Many potentially asymptomatic carriers are okay without getting tested. It affects the tracking of the COVID-19 diseases, and adversely affects isolation, social distancing and also keeping home-bound too.
Related article: American Woman Recovers by Treating Her Coronavirus at Home
