Bosch Develops Rapid Test For COVID-19

CAPE TOWN – German engineering and technology company Bosch has developed a COVID-19 rapid test that delivers results in under two-and-a-half hours.

With more than 480,000 coronavirus infections globally, pressure is mounting on health authorities to speed up the pace at which COVID-19 laboratory testing is being carried out.

The device has the World Health Organisation’s stamp of approval and can diagnose ten different respiratory pathogens.

The demand on health services to rapidly speed up COVID-19 testing is rising.

This new device could help.

It works by placing a patient’s nasal or throat swab specimen on a cartridge, which is inserted into the Vivalytic analysis device that’s about the size of two credit card machines.

Bosch’s Lilian Steele said results were available within two-and-a-half hours.

“Once you’ve taken a sample, it goes into the cartridge and you do not have the risk of passing on the infection. It also tests for nine other respiratory infections so there’s a clear indication of how the patient is suffering from.”

Bosch said that it was 95% accurate and talks were underway to get the device distributed throughout Africa.

To track the latest developments around the coronavirus both in South Africa and abroad, click on this live status report from Strategix.

EWN