In the fight against Covid-19, a new screening test should soon be implemented. After the RT-PCR, antigen and saliva test, what new features does it present to detect the presence of SARS-COV-2?
RunCov, that's the name, this new test has a double promise: the first is that it will be more reliable than antigenic tests and the second is that it will be faster than PCR tests. How? 'Or' What? If the viral load is high, you can get it in just five minutes. It may take up to 30 minutes for the result to be obtained if the viral load is relatively low. RunCov, therefore, saves considerable time since it does not need to be analyzed for hours in the laboratory.
A test born in an agronomic research organization based in Réunion
This new test was developed at Cirad de la Réunion, an agricultural research organization located in Saint-Pierre. 'I study and develop diagnoses of plant diseases,' explains the researcher in her laboratory at the plant protection centre in Saint-Pierre, in the south of the island. However, these so-called RT-Lamp molecular methods, based on the amplification of pieces of DNA from the pathogen, also work on human viruses, 'Isabelle Robène, tropical plants veterinarian, explains to Liberation. CIRAD obtained 140 nasopharyngeal samples, positive or negative, as well as various pathogens such as influenza and other human coronaviruses 'the objective was to verify that the RT-Lamp test is specific to Covid-19'.
The RunCov, a tool in the fight against Covid-19 with many advantages
'We can intervene at the feet of patients, in an airport, a car park, a gymnasium, all you need is an electrical outlet,' explains Emmanuel Jouen, who is also a researcher at CIRAD. For this test to be fully effective, it relies on a fluorescence technique. By way of comparison, an RT-PCR test is based on a colourimetry technique, with “more random interpretation,” the researchers say. Another undeniable advantage of this new test is its sensitivity to the different variants that it will be able to detect. Using two pieces of the genome, the S and N areas can confirm the results and refine them since the coronavirus variants appeared. 'We noticed that the English mutant was not activating the S-zone. If we have an S- and N + result, then we have a strong suspicion of its presence.' CIRAD Director Eric Jeuffrault adds 'RunCov is self-sufficient, with a sensitivity of around 90%, even with low viral loads, which considerably reduces the likelihood of false-negative patients'.
In the test phase at Saint-Pierre hospital than at the airport
RunCov, the new test for Reunion Islanders is being tested at Saint-Pierre hospital, it should also be implemented at airports. First for travellers who are going to transit between Reunion Island and Mayotte, then on flights to the metropolis. CIRAD does not intend to file a specific patent for Liberation. RunCov will therefore be available to manufacturers and laboratories wishing to analyze the results of their research. Contact was made with a metropolitan biotechnology start-up to produce it on a large scale.
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