Scientists have developed a COVID testing method that only needs some affordable lab equipment and your smartphone, and preliminary results show it’s as accurate as PCR tests.
Developed by University of California, Santa Barbara researchers and described in a new paper published in the journal JAMA Network Open, the system uses readily available equipment such as a hot plate that costs less than $100. Each test costs only $7, which is an improvement for those struggling to secure access to PCR tests.
The test method is quite simple: After downloading the free Bacticount app developed by scientists, you have to place your phone on the hot plate with the rear camera facing down. After the saliva is placed in a test kit on the hot plate, it is necessary to drip a reactive solution that will make the viral RNA more noticeable on your phone’s camera and run the application. The solution binds with viral material (both COVID and flu were tested in the study) and turns bright red. The app estimates the viral load in saliva based on how fast the color reaction occurs.
The system looks very cheap and easy to install. It may therefore be the perfect solution for the project’s goal of meeting the need for low-cost, low-tech, yet highly reliable and scalable SARS-CoV-2 virus resistant testing against circulating variants in low-income and middle-income countries.
However, because this initial study included a very small sample of 50 symptomatic and asymptomatic patients in a Southern California area, the method still needs ample scrutiny. In other words, don’t expect to order Bacticount compatible kits anytime soon and do your own testing soon, especially since the app is calibrated to work only with cameras on Samsung Galaxy S9 phones.
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