Covid antibodies detected in just 5 minutes in new test

Researchers will now adapt the platform to make it portable and connectable to mobile devices for diagnosing Covid and other infectious diseases, Mustafa Qadri writes

This discovery could outperform the current gold-standard process of identifying diseases (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Researchers have developed a test that detects Covid antibodies within five minutes of infection.

The breakthrough gadget, made by scientists in Brazil, detects the virus with 88.7 per cent sensitivity.

The immunosensor is easy to make and use and its production cost is relatively low, the team behind it says.

The researchers will now adapt the platform to make it portable and connectable to mobile devices for use in diagnosing Covid and other infectious diseases.

It comes as Covid-19 infections across the UK have risen above one million again, with levels increasing in England for the first time since mid-October.

The new Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures come alongside early signs that Covid patient levels in England are also starting to rise once more.

The total number of people in private households in the UK testing positive for coronavirus rose to 1.0 million in the week to November 21, up 6% from 972,400 the previous week, according to the ONS.

It is the first increase in UK-wide infections since the week ending October 17 and comes a week after the infection levels dropped below one million for the first time since mid-September.

During the latest wave, the total peaked at just over two million in mid-October.

During the Covid test study, a total of 107 blood samples were analysed and divided into four groups.

Blood samples of people pre-pandemic, Covid recoverers, people vaccinated without a previous positive result and those vaccinated after a positive result.

Those that had been vaccinated were given two doses of the Chinese Covid vaccine, CoronaVac, administered four weeks apart.

The research team noted that the device detected antibodies produced in response to infections from the virus and vaccination.

The device also showed potential as a tool for monitoring seroconversion - a period during which the body starts producing detectable levels of HIV antibodies - and seroprevalence - the level of a pathogen in a population - as measured in blood serum.

The way vaccines respond to the immunosensor helps public health authorities assess the effectiveness of different vaccines and immunisation campaigns or programs.

Their research was supported by the National Science and Technology Institute for Bioanalysis and can be found here.