Ghana develops COVID-19 test kit that give results in 20 minutes

↑ Click above to follow us!

点击上方 宝安外语协会 关注我们

▲Image for reference only

Scientists in Ghana have made groundbreaking progress in the country’s fight against the novel coronavirus. The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) scientists have manufactured a revolutionary Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kit for Covid-19. Local media reports that the University built the test kit in partnership with Incas Diagnostic, a medical diagnostic development and manufacturing social enterprise located in Kumasi, Ghana’s second-largest city.

The test kit named ‘COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test’ is said to give results within 15-20 minutes. Modelled in the form of a homemade kit used in a glucose or pregnancy testing, the COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test’ requires only a finger-prick drop of blood. It “detects two different types of antibodies produced by the body to fight off the COVID-19 infection about seven days after infection and also in those who have been exposed to the virus but not showing any symptoms (asymptomatic) or recovered from the infection,” the University said in a statement released by its spokesperson, Dr. Daniel Norris Bekoe. 

The device is however still being optimised and its “developers are currently engaging the Food and Drugs Authority for the necessary regulatory framework”.

In the future, it could also, help identify recovered patients who could then donate their SARS-CoV-2 antibody-rich serum to help treat critically ill patients as is being done in some countries.

Currently, Ghana uses Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for its COVID-19 test. The PCR detects parts of the viral genome very early in infection and takes at least 48 hours from testing to results; potentially delaying contact tracing and other efforts, scientists said. But the latest innovation is said to detect asymptomatic cases, thus enabling decentralized testing to be done anywhere without requiring any equipment.

“These serological tests which use a finger-prick blood and in lateral flow format, similar to blood glucose test or home pregnancy test, detects two different types of antibodies produced by the body to fight off the Covid-19 infection about 7 days after infection and also in those who have been exposed to the virus but not showing any symptoms (asymptomatic) or recovered from the infection,” Dr. Bekoe said. 

He added: “The device requires little technical training for those performing the test. The test which takes 15-20 minutes to perform, would enable those tested to know their results in a shorter time to enable decision making in real-time by health authorities.” Ghana’s Food and Drug Authority is currently being engaged for “the necessary regulatory framework,” according to reports. 

“This week we are expecting Noguchi, the FDA, and the experts to report on an RDT option to assist our surveillance. We are of the view that would help quicken an answer to the incidence rate in Ghana assuming that is the model that we want to add to our intervention,” Ghana’s Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah was quoted saying. 

The innovation by the Ghanaian scientists is a massive improvement on the COVID-19 test kit created by two South African techpreneurs which provides results in just 65 minutes. Enhanced and continuous testing is very important in the global fight against the coronavirus outbreak. It has been identified not only as a way to identify infected persons, but also explains how the virus develops with various jurisdictions.

Source: Face2faceAfrica.com, KNUST, and AntikaNews.

End

Editor's Picks 往期推荐

✨👍👏

***所有文章仅代表作者个人观点，不代表本站立场*** 

---

邮箱：[e-mail]

扫码关注我们  获取更多公益活动信息

▼Extract the QR code to follow us▼

FLA

Official Account

Follow us

     FLA

QQ Group

815613448

Join  us