Australian Researchers Develop 20-Minute COVID-19 Blood Test

Australian researchers have devised a simple blood test that can identify positive COVID-19 patients in 20 minutes.

The research team at Melbourne’s Monash University has developed an assay that detects antibodies generated in response to infection by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.  

The discovery could allow medical practitioners to test up to 200 blood samples an hour in a simple lab setup, and hospitals with high-grade diagnostic machines could test about 16,800 blood samples each day, the researchers said.

A patent for the device has been filed in Australia, and the researchers said they are seeking commercial and government support to manufacture the product.