Singapore-Scientists in Singapore have developed a simpler and less invasive method for rapid detection of Covid-19, which is close to the accuracy of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection in correctly identifying infected persons.
Singapore-Scientists in Singapore have developed a simpler and less invasive method for rapid detection of Covid-19, which is close to the accuracy of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection in correctly identifying infected persons.
The test only requires personal saliva, not a throat or nose swab. It is more accurate than the PCR test in correctly identifying those who are not infected with the virus.
Scientists said at a media conference on Wednesday (December 8) that unlike other saliva tests that must be performed in the morning after a long fast, the test can be performed at any time of the day.
They stated that the test can be self-administered, is expected to be low cost, outperforms the existing rapid antigen test (ART) in early clinical testing, and "may be a game changer."
The team is composed of researchers from Duke-National University School of Medicine, Singapore General Hospital (SGH), National Cancer Center Singapore (NCCS), and the National University of Singapore. The announcement was made two days after their findings were published in a peer-reviewed journal. science magazine.
The team said that this product, called rapid bedside detection of parallel amplified saliva (Pasport), may be three to six months away from commercialization.
Dr. Jenny Low, senior consultant of SGH's Department of Infectious Diseases, said that "more clinical studies are still needed to validate the final commercial product."
When asked whether the new Omicron variant could be detected, NCCS clinician and scientist associate professor Melvin Chua replied that the team “does not think this is a problem”.
In any case, Duke-NUS and SingHealth have applied for intellectual property protection for the invention, and are currently negotiating with interested parties on the license.
However, Dr. Benjamin Sheares Academic Medicine Professor Soo Khee Chee, SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Clinical Program in Oncology, stated that the team has not yet been approved by the Department of Health Sciences, although they hope to meet with the authorities soon.
The researcher said that when it is indeed available, it may take about 15 minutes for the user to get his test results.
In terms of cost, Dr. Soo stated that he expects it to be similar to other test kits on the market, but "very superior."
Between May and August this year, the team's clinical trials involved more than 100 participants.
According to their study published in the journal Microchimica Acta on Monday, the test found that Pasport has a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 90.6% compared with PCR tests.
Sensitivity refers to the ability of the test to correctly identify patients with the disease, while specificity refers to the ability to correctly identify patients without the disease.
The Ministry of Health stated on its website that the PCR test-often referred to as the gold standard for diagnosing Covid-19-has a sensitivity and specificity percentage of 99.5% and 100%, respectively.
The scientists stated that it makes no sense to compare their invention with the level of sensitivity and specificity of conventional ART because they are citing percentages related to PCR tests, not absolute values.
Researchers say that so far, saliva tests have not been launched on a large scale to detect coronaviruses because they are considered insufficiently reliable.
Dr. Danny Tng, the main inventor of Pasport and a medical officer from the Department of Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health of Singapore, said that this is because the concentration of virus particles in the saliva drops sharply after an individual eats or drinks.
This means that traditional saliva antigen tests are usually only reliable first thing in the morning, after a night of fasting, and before breakfast or brushing your teeth.
Researchers say that although there are more accurate saliva PCR tests, they also have their disadvantages.
Dr. Low said that PCR testing not only requires trained personnel and laboratory infrastructure, but it also takes about 24 hours to know the results.
As for swab-based ART, Dr. Soo said that although they can be self-managed, it is not the "most pleasant experience."
In addition, since it tends to cause sneezing, he said that if they use it to other people, they put the swab at risk of potential infection.
The researchers devised a solution to overcome the challenge of using saliva for rapid testing in the form of a two-stage process.
Dr. Tng said that although Pasport uses nanoparticles to bind viruses like other ARTs, it also adds a second type of nanoparticles.
This has the effect of combining the first set of nanoparticles to "amplify the signal", thereby improving the accuracy of Pasport's virus detection.
In addition, it also allows saliva testing at any time of the day, because its sensitivity will not be affected even after eating or drinking.
In terms of usage, Dr. Tng demonstrated that users only need to put saliva into a container, and then use a pipette to extract and transfer the saliva to the two sample holes on the test kit.
Dr. Tng said that testing is an indispensable tool for managing Covid-19 cases.
"Reliable, painless, and convenient saliva antigen testing will encourage more testing and more frequent testing," he said.
Speaking of the potential application of Pasport, the researchers said that in addition to being a screening tool for airport passengers or participants in large-scale events, it can also make other useful contributions to the management of Covid-19 cases.
Professor Ooi Eng Eong of the Duke-National University of Singapore Emerging Infectious Diseases Project said it can be used in combination with antiviral drugs.
Reuters reported on October 7 that the pharmaceutical company Merck (Merck) has announced a supply and procurement agreement with Singapore to ensure access to its experimental oral Covid-19 antiviral drug.
The drug Molnupiravir aims to introduce errors into the genetic code of the coronavirus and will become the first oral antiviral drug for Covid-19.
"As with any other antiviral drug, the earlier you give it during the infection process, the better the effect. If you postpone it for two to three days, you will actually lose the effectiveness of the antiviral drug," said Professor Ooi.
Since passports are “as good as PCR tests,” he said it will enable general practitioners to test their patients for Covid-19 and diagnose them on-site without waiting for laboratory results
Professor Ooi said: "If we can give the drug early enough, then we will be able to prevent many people from continuing to develop severe Covid."
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