New rapid COVID-19 test delivering results within 30 minutes gets EU approval
A new test for COVID-19, which produces results within one hour has been approved for sale in the European Economic Area, The Irish Post reported.
The test, created by Dublin-based HiberGene Diagnostics, works by mixing a patient's sample with a solution that is heated for five minutes before a freeze-fried reagent is applied to it.
It is then put through a portable diagnostic instrument, capable of carrying up to four test samples concurrently, which delivers results in 10 minutes.
On average, positive results can be returned within 30 minutes while negative readings are confirmed within 60 minutes, enabling rapid diagnosis of the virus.
The project, which is supported by a grant of €930,000 from Horizon 2020, the EU programme for research and development, has been hailed as a game-changer because of the speed and low costs associated with it, the source said.