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Published Monday, January 25, 2021
Costa Rican scientists develop saliva
tests for quick covid-19 detection
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Scientists from the three principal public universities in Costa Rica, the University of Costa Rica, the Technologic University and the National University, completed the first prototype of saliva tests for a speedy diagnosis of covid-19.
After almost a month of investigation and the support of more than 20 specialists, the scientists begin with the verification phase of the saliva tests they are developing for the fast diagnosis of covid-19.
With the use of synthetic genes also designed by the scientists, the preliminary results obtained so far are successful, according to the scientists.
“The first results show that in vitro tests using synthetic genes achieved a sensitivity of 94.4% in the ability of the test to detect the disease. It also has a specificity level of 100% in the case of applying the test to healthy individuals," German Madrigal, director of the Institute for Pharmaceutical Research said. "The percentages obtained are very high and mean that the test has great potential to improve the diagnosis of covid-19."
Intending to carry the validation tests, the scientists designed synthetic covid-19 genes and artificial saliva as a first step to counteract the results with the standard test known as Polymerase chain reaction, PCR.
The most common test is the PCR, which is a process that amplifies (replicates) a small, well-defined segment of DNA hundreds of thousands of times, creating enough of it for analysis. Samples can be obtained by a nasopharyngeal swab (or nasopharyngeal culture) for collecting nasal secretions from the back of the nose and throat.
If this new test successfully passes the following two stages that are still pending, it is expected that within a few months the university would be sharing with Social Security, the Ministry of Health and any company that wishes to produce the tests.
The country will have an additional resource to the standard test for the diagnosis of covid-19 with 70% less cost, the scientist said in its statement.
The speedy and efficient detection of covid-19 is vital for health authorities, due to the increase in virus contagions in the country.
On Friday, the Ministry of Health shared the most recent statistics on the virus in the country:
• 831 new covid-19 cases are reported, bringing the total to 40,342 current active cases.
• 23,556 foreign-born people have been infected, totaling 189,308 cases since March, approximately 12.4% of the total cases. Of these, authorities confirmed the death of 32 foreign-born patients. But since October, there is no updated information about foreign-born deaths due to covid-19.
• 505 patients are being treated in public hospitals, where 205 patients are in ICU’s in delicate health conditions. Their ages range from 1 to 92-years-old. And 300 patients are in recovery rooms. Many of the remaining infected patients are quarantined in their homes.
• 146,448 patients have fully recovered, a 77.4% recovery rate of the total cases since March.
• 567,141 covid-19 tests have been conducted in Costa Rica since March, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering of Johns Hopkins University in the U.S.
• 2,518 deaths are listed as covid-19 related, approximately 1.3% death rate. Of these 949 are women and 1,569 men. The ages range from a 2-year-old to a 101-year-old.
Readers can see the current number of infected people in each district at the National Distance Education University on its Covid-19 Map.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the pandemic has killed more than 2.1 million people worldwide.
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What has been your experience with the PCR covid-19 detection test? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com
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