New Covid-19 test could provide result 'within one minute'

A non-invasive Covid-19 breath test that delivers results “within one minute” is being developed by UK scientists.

The technology, which is being worked on as part of a project known as TOXI-Triage, uses “breath signatures” to “rapidly distinguish Covid-19 from other respiratory conditions”.

The researchers said their findings, published in The Lancet’s EclinicalMedicine journal, could dramatically improve the experience of taking a coronavirus test as well as “play a part in restarting the economy”.

Emma Brodrick, systems application manager at the Imspex Group who are working on the tests, said current tests were invasive and could be uncomfortable which might put some people off taking them.

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The most common tests available in the UK require people to hold a swab deep in their nose and mouth for 10 seconds which can be uncomfortable and cause a person to sneeze or gag.

The tests also require them to be analysed in a lab, which means it can be days before the person gets their result.

The government has struggled to increase the scale of the testing regime as demand has surged, which has led to numerous complaints and made it harder to respond to the pandemic.

A test that could be carried out simply and provide a result immediately would transform the government's stategy for combating the virus.

Boris Johnson outlined 'operation moonshot' in September where he revealed plans for life to get back to normal that would rely on fast turn around tests.

Paul Thomas, professor of analytical science from Loughborough University’s Department of Chemistry, said the team is encouraged by the findings but added more data is required to develop the test.

He said: “If shown to be reliable, it offers the possibility for rapid identification or exclusion of Covid-19 in emergency departments or primary care that will protect healthcare staff, improve the management of patients and reduce the spread of Covid-19.”

The researchers recruited 98 patients for the small study, of whom 31 had coronavirus.

Their aim was to identify the biomarkers present in the breath of someone affected by Covid-19 and distinguish those signatures from other respiratory tract infections.

Led by Loughborough University, the TOXI-Triage project was launched four years ago with the aim to determine the most effective ways to give medical and toxic assessments to the casualties of a chemical, biological, radioactive or nuclear event.

The team involved in the project repurposed some of the existing the technology to design a Covid-19 breath test.

Santi Dominguez, chief executive of the Imspex Group said the tests "offer the possibility not only to dramatically improve people’s experience of taking a Covid-19 test but also to play a part in restarting the economy through rapid screening of large numbers of people at airports and other transportation hubs, for example.

“What will be needed now will be to rapidly acquire more data to continue to develop the test, and institutional and investor support to scale our manufacturing capability.”