Israeli scientists are testing a new gargle-and-spit test for Covid-19 on hundreds of patients, and report that so far it is proving 95% accurate, yielding results in one second.
The developers have built a USB-powered machine the size of an ashtray, which takes just one second to conduct analysis of mouthwash that a patient has gargled.
The scientists are halfway through a trial of 400 people at Israel’s largest hospital, Sheba Medical Center. If the accuracy levels continue to a high standard, they expect the test to become available internationally by the end of the year.
Patients rinse with 10 millilitres of a special mouthwash, and then spit into a tube. The sample is placed in a machine that analyses it, and reports whether it matches the profile of a sample infected with COVID-19. The machine, called the SpectraLIT, does not require any chemicals, and no medical skills are required to operate it.
The innovation team, drawn from Sheba and the Newsight imaging company, says that the technology has the potential to replace PCR testing, which includes an unpleasant swabbing process and requires lengthy lab analysis, as the main screening method used worldwide. PCR tests are believed to be around 80% accurate.
Professor Eli Schwartz, head of the trial and of Sheba’s Center for Geographic Medicine, told The Times of Israel: “This system is very rapid, cheap, and is looking reliable. It’s suitable for mass screening, as well as airport screening, screening at nursing homes, and even screening at home”.
He added: “The idea is to mostly replace PCR tests, especially in places where you need mass screening”.
