More ways to detect people positive for Covid-19
Not only does the method from the Rutgers University team detect who has Covid-19, it can also determine which strain they have.
The study was published in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics on March 17. According to the authors, identifying the infected F0 variant provides important information such as incubation period and infectious stage. From there, it helps medical experts choose the most effective Covid-19 treatment method for patients.
Previously, to identify the variant that F0 was infected with, experts needed to sequence the gene, which took a lot of time. This was also very expensive, slow and required a lot of specialized equipment.
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| Scientists have been able to know the F0 variant without sequencing the gene. Photo: Document |
However, with the molecular rRT-PCR method, it can indicate what variant the patient is infected with very quickly, cost-effectively and especially the results are as accurate as the traditional method.
The team tested 26 positive samples that had been sequenced. The results showed that the molecular rRT-PCR test detected 2 Alpha, 2 Epsilon, and 8 Delta samples. This was completely consistent with the traditional antibody test.
“The tools we developed help track and identify new variants. It will be very useful for pandemics and any potential viruses in the future,” said lead author of the study, Professor Ryan J. Dikdan of the Institute for Public Health Research, New Jersey Medical School, USA.
Currently, molecular light rRT-PCR testing can be deployed immediately in all laboratories globally./.
