Researchers in Senegal are testing a Covid-19 test that costs US$1 and produces results in 10 minutes.
If approved, the expectation is that the test will be available for distribution in Africa by June. The idea is that it will be manufactured in Senegal and the United Kingdom.
247 Researchers in Senegal are testing a coronavirus detection kit that would cost US$1 and deliver results in less than 10 minutes. If approved, the test is expected to be available for distribution in Africa by June. The idea is that it will be manufactured in Senegal and the United Kingdom.
The prototype developed by the DiaTropix laboratory, linked to the Pasteur Institute, and Mologic, a British biotechnology company, is similar to a pregnancy test. It can detect current infections through saliva, or previous infections through antibodies.
“There is no need for a highly equipped laboratory. It is a simple test that can be done anywhere,” stated Amadou Sall, director of the Pasteur Institute in Dakar. The report was published on G1.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the country most affected by the coronavirus on the continent is South Africa, with 18 confirmed cases and 369 deaths. Senegal has already registered 2,8 cases, with 30 deaths.