Researchers at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) have created a sample preparation method that could reduce the time and cost required to test for the coronavirus (Covid-19).
The method allows the virus to be detected without needing to extract SARS-CoV-2 genetic ribonucleic acid (RNA) material.
It was developed through a partnership among scientists at the National Eye Institute (NEI), the NIH Clinical Centre (CC) and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR).
Traditional Covid-19 tests require viral RNA to be extracted and amplified to detectable levels using a quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) technique.
