Smarthphone to test whether a person is COVID-19 positive or not
Covid-19 testing and vaccination have been the main challenges in the Wellness and Medical sectors. A new technology is identified which can improve detection of the novel coronavirus using samples taken from the screens of smartphones.
Researchers from University College London (UCL) analysed samples collected from mobile screens of people using the Phone Screen Testing (PoST) method. They found that people who tested Covid-19 positive by the regular nasal swab RT-PCR test were also positive when samples were taken from their smartphone screens. Also read Are Ambani and Adani heading for a war?
WHAT IS PoST?
PoST is an environmental test where swabs from the screens of the mobile are collected. Samples are embedded in a saline water solution. Then it is tested in the same way as other swabs to establish the virus presence.
HOW EFFECTIVE IS PoST METHOD?
Using PoST, researchers detected the virus on the phones of 81.3% to 100% of contagious people with a high viral load.
They said, “We successfully identified variations associated with SARS-CoV-2 Alpha, Beta and Gamma variants in positive PoST samples”
“PoST is a new non-invasive, cost-effective, and easy to implement smartphone-based smart alternative for SARS-CoV-2 testing,”
A machine is currently under development by Diagnosis Biotech, a Chilean startup founded by Young. Diagnosis Biotech will build on this research, safely taking a phone for PoST sampling and deliver the results directly via SMS to minimise contact.
The available testing method
Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test which detects nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2 in upper and lower respiratory specimens is currently used in many centres.
During the test, a small amount of DNA is extracted through a swab to diagnose the presence of the virus. The swab can be either nasal (through the nose) or oral (through the throat). However, the test is used only for detecting the presence of the virus. It cannot tell if the person has recovered from Covid-19 or not.
