corona tests

"Testing, Testing, Testing

"

This is the new guiding principle of the Bavarian anti-corona strategy. From July 1, it is possible for everyone living in Bavaria to be tested voluntarily and free of charge for the coronavirus- even without symptoms. This is now possible because German laboratories have significantly increased their testing capacities in the fight against the coronavirus. By mid-June, about 100,000 samples a day were being tested for the virus-in comparison, at the beginning of March, daily lab capacity was still just over 7,000 tests.

Testing is currently carried out in the laboratory using a so-called polymerase chain reaction, or PCR for short. In this process, the genetic material of the viruses is multiplied to such an extent that it can be detected, even if it occurs only in small quantities, according to the Federal Ministry of Health.

Such a test usually takes 4-5 hours, but valuable time is lost in sending the samples to specialist laboratories, time during which possible contacts cannot yet be isolated and could infect more people.

Antibody testing- the salvation ?

For this reason, antibody rapid tests are currently in development and are already offered by various companies. Here, however, no snapshot of the infection is created, but an immune reaction against the pathogen is determined. After the virus has been in the body for a few days, the human immune system forms antibodies which are easily detectable in the blood. This proof is then to be provided by the antibody rapid test. Therefore, the Federal Ministry of Health ordered millions of Corona antibody tests from the pharmaceutical company Roche

already at the beginning of May.

Currently, the major corporation can provide 5 million tests per month. The problem here, however, is that a positive antibody test does not necessarily mean immunity. Often the test also reacts positively to an infection with normal cold coronaviruses and falsely confirms a survived infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Furthermore, this test only detects a survived infection and this 2-3 weeks after the actual infection, so acute cases cannot be isolated. Nevertheless, this is a possibility for rapid and widespread testing, but the possible risks and inaccuracies should not be neglected.

6 million € funding from the state of Baden-Württemberg

In order to make rapid testing more accurate, Spindiag is also currently working on a rapid test that should provide a result for a possible infection within 35 minutes. The Freiburg-based medical technology start-up, which was founded four years ago out of the renowned Hahn-Schickard Institute for Microanalysis Systems, received six million euros in funding from the state of Baden-Württemberg in April, together with the research institute. With this multi-million euro funding, the state hopes to advance the development of the rapid test. This should also be made possible by a fourth round of funding, including participation from venture capitalist ThinkHealth Ventures, totaling 16.3 million euros.

Thus, Spindiag

has a good chance of successful development and market launch. So far, they have spent 15 years researching a machine that can detect multi-resistant germs within 30 minutes. This innovative test platform is now to be adapted to the SARS-COV-2 virus. It is a so-called cartridge test, in which a cartridge containing the virus material is compared with the genetic material of the test subject. If the two agree, the test is positive. In principle, this is a rapid test, but with the precision of the PCR method. In this way, it would be possible to reduce the test duration from 4 hours to 30 minutes.

In addition, the device is capable of analyzing two cartridges at the same time and could thus provide 80 tests per device per day. According to co-founder and CEO Daniel Mark, the cost of a Sars-CoV-2 test is less than 50 euros, with the analyzer costing around 20,000 euros. The Freiburg-based startup expects to enter the market by the third quarter of 2020.

Coronatest in just 5 minutes

In addition to the classic PCR laboratory test, antibody rapid test and the cartridge test, there is another method to detect the virus. A so-called antigen test, which is currently being researched by the Manizer start-up Digital Diagnostics

. The start-up, founded in December, has just applied for special approval for its Corona rapid test at the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices. The antigen test is comparable to the PCr test, but the latter promises a result within 5 minutes. With this accelerated procedure, it should be possible to process higher test numbers in the future and to digitally record the occurrence of infections. However, the system is technically very complex and could be a little too expensive for mass screening, so a test should cost, according to Digital Diagnostics, just under 60 euros.

Nevertheless, we find this development remarkable and wish the startups continued success and hope for new opportunities in the fight against the corona virus. That's it from our blog series about Pivotmaster in crisis, we hope you could take away some information and inspiration. Stay healthy! Your Startbase Team