Scientists from the University of Oxford’s Engineering Science Department and the Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research (OSCAR) have developed a rapid testing technology for the novel corona virus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). The team, led by Prof Zhanfeng Cui and Prof Wei Huang, have been working to improve test capabilities as the virus spreads internationally.
The new test is far more efficient and does not require a complicated instrument. It now takes just half an hour to produce a result, over three times faster than previous viral RNA testing.
Prof Wei Huang says: ‘The beauty of this new test lies in the design of the viral detection that can specifically recognise SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) RNA and RNA fragments. The test has built-in checks to prevent false positives or negatives and the results have been highly accurate.’
Rapid testing technology for the novel corona virus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)
Prof Zhanfeng Cui, the Director of OSCAR, says: ‘I am proud of our team that have developed a useful technology and can make a contribution in combating CoV-19, and we are very grateful to the hospital’s medical team led by Dr Xizhou Sun, Dr Xiuming Zhang and Dr Dan Xiong for their part in testing this new technology.’
What we know
Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds, and respiratory tract infections in humans.
The current coronavirus outbreak, recently declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This virus has been shown to have a close Genetic similarity to bat coronaviruses, which are thought to have been the likely origin. The outbreak was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei province, China in December 2019.
COVID-19 appears to spread in a similar way to cold and flu bugs, with transmission primarily occurring through respiratory droplets from coughs and sneezes within a range of under 2 metres. Indirect contact on untreated surfaces is also another likely cause of infection. At present, whilst COVID-19 appears to be more contagious than SARS or MERS, the fatality rate is relatively low (around 3%) when compared with MERS (34%) and SARS (10%), with early data suggesting the elderly and those with underlying Health conditions are at a higher risk.
What is viral RNA?
Viral RNA is a virus which has RNA (ribonucleic acid) as its Genetic material. This nucleic acid is usually single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) but may be double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Examples of RNA viruses include the Ebola virus disease, SARS, rabies, the common cold, influenza, hepatitis C, hepatitis E, West Nile fever, polio, measles, and COVID-19.
RNA viruses Generally have very high Mutation rates compared to DNA viruses because viral RNA polymerases lack the proofreading ability of DNA polymerases. This is a major stumbling block when it comes to producing effective vaccines to prevent diseases caused by RNA viruses. A polymerase is an Enzyme that synthesises long chains of polymers or nucleic acids.
Latest updates on COVID-19 research at Oxford: http://www.ox.ac.uk/coronavirus-research