New test method detects Covid-19 virus in high concentration gargling samples

London, July 16 (SocialNews.XYZ) German researchers have been able to detect small amounts of novel coronaviruses by using mass spectrometry in mouthwash solutions of Covid-19 patients.

New methods are currently being improved and may become available as standard diagnostic tools for Covid-19 in the future, reports a study published in the Journal of Proteome Research.

“We were able to detect the components of viral proteins just by receiving a small amount of mouthwash,” said Christian Eyring, a researcher at Martin Luther University Hallewittenberg (MLU) in Germany.

According to the researchers, the most prominent test method is the polymerase chain reaction, or PCR in a nutshell, used to detect whether someone is suffering from an acute Covid-19 infection.

PCR technology is very specific because it detects the viral genome. Alternative tests detect antibodies to the disease.

Antibodies are produced in the body during the course of infection and can only be used to detect the advanced stages of past infections or diseases.

Antibody tests are often nonspecific and may not be able to distinguish between different coronaviruses that can affect humans. Therefore, test laboratories around the world are reaching their capacity limits.

Andrea Sinz, a mass spectrometry expert at MLU’s Institute of Pharmacy, was thinking about developing a new mass spectrometry-based test that would complement PCR.

Mass spectrometry can accurately identify molecules based on their mass and charge. The research team has developed a method to search for components of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

“We measure the protein of the virus directly, not the genetic material,” Sints explained.

For the experiment, the research team provided a gargling solution for three Covid-19 patients. They have developed a method to detect viral components in these highly diluted samples.

“This was very amazing and I didn’t think it would work for me,” Sints said.

The test is very specific for the virus as the corresponding protein is only present in SARS-CoV-2. In addition, tests can be used in the early stages of the disease, where many viruses are present in the mouth and throat.

The test currently takes about 15 minutes, according to the research team.

The research group is currently trying to further reduce analysis time by using artificially created virus components.

Source: IANS

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