Doctor says weekly covid tests are ‘colossal waste of money’
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The new VSS-GP COVID-19 Saliva Test contains a simple swab to collect saliva from inside the cheek. The company states this approach “revolutionises Covid lateral flow testing” with an easy test suitable for vulnerable and younger people.
This saliva-based approach is supposed to provide a “much easier alternative” to the throat and nose lateral-flow tests that may lead to gagging and sneezing.
The new product now carries a CE marking, which is used to show that a product complies with EU safety, health or environmental requirements.
The manufacturer based in Cambridge is set to produce four million tests per month.
It states it’s ready to support coronavirus testing in schools, workplaces, care homes and public events.
The test offers “clinical precision” which resulted in 100% sensitivity and specificity.
This was achieved by using RT-PCR verified samples containing the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The new test was developed in the UK by Intelligent Fingerprinting.
This company was previously known for the world’s only fingerprint sweat drug test.
The Covid test was developed based on the company’s lateral flow technology expertise.
The new test comes with a swab used to collect a saliva sample from the inside of the lower cheek.
The sample is then mixed with a reagent buffer that has been pre-added to the collection tube.
This is done in order to release the virus into the solution.
The screening test is done by inserting the tip of the test strip into the sample.
This will provide either a positive or a negative result at 20 minutes.
When your swab is positive for the virus, you will see the control line and the red line on the test strip.
This test has none of the plastic housing linked to other later flow tests, making it more environmentally friendly.
Intelligent Fingerprinting’s Executive Chairman Philip Hand said: “Regular COVID-19 testing will continue to be part of our everyday lives for the foreseeable future, so it’s essential that we remove potential barriers to testing.”
The company’s mission is to make the testing process “as simple and comfortable as possible”.
It aims to combine simplicity with high levels of accuracy.
Hand added: “We anticipate working with a range of distribution partners to make this test available across multiple markets.”
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