AKIPRESS.COM - A new 15-minute COVID-19 test has been launched in Thailand aimed at increasing the number of people being screened for the deadly virus and easing the burden on the health system, Sky News reports.
Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok rolled out the rapid kit this week hoping it will help to quickly identify people with the illness.
Coronavirus cases rose sharply in Thailand in March, with panicked citizens flocking to under-pressure hospitals for coronavirus tests.
Currently doctors rely on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests from nasal and throat swabs to detect COVID-19.
The demand for the PCR test can mean kits are in short supply and results can take two to four days.
The new rapid strip tests detect antibodies (IgG & IgM) in the blood serum or plasma which could indicate that a patient either currently or previously had COVID-19.