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Russian agency rolls out test system that detects coronavirus in 15 to 20 minutes

Russia’s Federal Biomedical Agency can produce more than 50 chips per days

© Russia’s Federal Biomedical Agency Press Service/TASS

MOSCOW, April 10. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Biomedical Agency (FMBA) rolled out two new test systems, based on coronavirus detection chips. One of them allows reducing testing time from 90 to 15-20 minutes, the agency’s press service said Friday.

"One [of the test systems] is microfluidic chips that allow individual testing for the novel coronavirus infection. The test is based on the isothermal amplification method. Unlike polymerase chain reaction method, isothermal amplification happens in constant mix temperature and with use of more productive enzymes. Thanks to this, the test time has been reduced from 90 minutes in classic polymerase chain reaction to just 15-20 minutes," the agency said.

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The agency can produce more than 50 chips per days. The second system is a 96-well plate with optical result registration.

"This test system has also been developed at the FMBA’s Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine. It allows testing for coronavirus antibodies in the biological material," the press service said.

Antibody detection in patient’s blood serum allows medics to monitor a period of time, during which these antibodies are secreted in the patient’s body. The test system will be registered next week.

To date, a total of 11,917 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 795 patients having recovered from the virus. Moscow accounts for the majority of cases (7,822). Russia’s latest data indicates 94 fatalities nationwide.

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