Unlike many other tests that are available, this test also gives an estimate of viral load, or the number of virus particles in a sample, which can help doctors monitor the progression of a COVID-19 infection and estimate how contagious a patient might be.
Most COVID-19 diagnostic tests rely on a method called PCR, short for polymerase chain reaction, which searches for pieces of the SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA in a sample.The new diagnostic test takes advantage of the CRISPR Cas13 protein, which directly binds and cleaves RNA segments.In the test, CRISPR Cas13 proteins are “programmed†to recognize segments of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA and then combined with a probe that becomes fluorescent when cleaved“The eventual goal is to have a personal device, like a mobile phone, that is able to detect a range of different viral infections and quickly determine whether you have a common cold or SARS-Cov-2 or influenza,†Fletcher said