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Monash University develop new way to detect positive coronavirus cases

Monash University researchers have made a major development in the testing of COVID-19, with the new discovery able to diagnose the virus in 20 minutes. Here’s how quickly the test could be rolled out.

Monash University develops 20 minute COVID results test

World first Aussie research has developed a test that can identify positive coronavirus cases in just 20 minutes.

The discovery could help the effort to limit the spread of the virus by identifying patients and their close contacts faster.

The research team, led by Monash University, developed a simple way to detect the

presence of coronavirus antibodies in the blood.

Results were seen in about 20 minutes, which could allow up to 700 blood samples to be tested an hour.

Monash University has developed a test that can detect positive coronavirus cases in 20 minutes. Picture: Stuart McEvoy
Monash University has developed a test that can detect positive coronavirus cases in 20 minutes. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

The study findings, published Friday, could help high-risk countries with population screening, case identification, contact tracing, confirming vaccine efficacy during clinical trials, and vaccine distribution.

Dr Simon Corrie, Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering at Monash University, said the

findings were exciting for health care teams racing to stop the spread of COVID-19.

“This simple assay, based on commonly used blood typing infrastructure and already manufactured at scale, can be rolled out rapidly across Australia and beyond,” he said.

“This test can be used in any lab that has blood typing infrastructure, which is extremely common across the world.”

Researchers collaborated with clinicians at Monash Health to collect blood samples from people recently infected with COVID-19.

The experts said with funding and commercial support the test could be rolled out in as little as six months.

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/coronavirus/monash-university-develop-new-way-to-detect-positive-coronavirus-cases/news-story/7728ffb70200abfebfcab879907fea53