Test Systems for Rapid Diagnosis of Coronavirus in Asymptomatic Carriers Have Been Created in Russia

The analysis takes 90 minutes as reported by the Russian venture company

https://nauka.tass.ru/nauka/9969965

MOSCOW, 11 November. /TASS/. Russian scientists have developed an express method for detecting COVID-19 in the absence of symptoms or weak manifestations of the virus. New express test systems have already been certified by Roszdravnadzor (Federal Health Care Supervisory Agency) for use in laboratories and put into production, as reported to TASS by the Russian Venture Company press service on Wednesday.

The authors of the test systems are specialists from the Competence Center of the National Technological Initiative based on the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry named after academicians Mikhail Shemyakin and Yuriy Ovchinnikov in collaboration with colleagues from the Central Clinical Hospital of the Russian Academy of Sciences with the support of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Education and Science.

“The scientists <…> have found a way to identify the fact of contact with SARS-CoV-2 even for patients with asymptomatic or mild form of disease. New complex test systems almost completely eliminate the possibility of a false-positive test result that occurs due to cross-reaction with other common types of human coronavirus. At the same time, they are able to detect not only antibodies of the IgM and IgG classes, but also IgA antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in human blood serum or plasma, which, in the conditions of clinical centers dealing with the treatment of coronavirus infection, can help to timely identify the patients with likelihood of severe course of the disease”, as reported to TASS by the Russian Venture Company press service.

Unlike the existing tests, which only determine the presence of IgG / IgM antibodies in human blood, the new solution also shows the presence of IgA antibodies. This allows to more accurately determine the quality of the immune response to the virus impact and the stage of the disease as TASS was explained by RVC.

The Test Systems Special Features

The test systems are presented in four versions, allowing for a general screening test (the overall determination of three antibodies IgA, IgG, IgM at once) and each of these classes. The development for early diagnosis is based on the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which helps to accurately determine the amount of immunoglobulins (antibodies) to coronavirus infection in human blood.

The new tests use solid-phase ELISA, in which the antigen is adsorbed on a solid carrier. The system can be used as an auxiliary tool for diagnosing coronavirus, as well as in organizing monitoring of the epidemiological situation and conducting screening blood tests for patients who sought help more than seven days after the onset of acute respiratory viral infection symptoms or who have been in contact with diseased.

The analysis takes only 90 minutes, while the rapid test kits are handy to use and safe for clinical laboratory personnel. At the moment, the developers have moved to the stage of producing diagnostic systems for widespread use.

“The test systems are intended for professional use in in vitro clinical laboratory diagnostics only. Mobile laboratories have already started to work in Moscow and the Moscow region”, as reported to TASS by the Russian Venture Company.