Waiting in line at the hospital may no longer be necessary for some patients in Hunan, where an online hospital becomes operational. (Photo : www.firstpost.com)
Chinese scientists from Hong Kong and Xiamen universities have developed a test to diagnose persons infected with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) that can show results in just 15 minutes, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The diagnostic reagent was put together by researchers from the two Chinese universities and can be used in virus screening in case a breakout of the disease occurs in China.
According to the researchers, the reagent employs antigen diagnostics, which can be used in detecting viral antigens that develop on the surface of cells infected with any specific virus.
The report said that the research on the reagent started in late 2014.
"The antigen diagnostics are much easier to work with," Zhang Jun, an infectious disease expert at Xiamen University, was quoted as saying. "In contrast, nucleic acid diagnostics involve extracting RNA, which is time-consuming and requires experienced technicians and specialized equipment."
The researchers said that the new reagent can be efficiently used to conduct tests in large number, allowing a single technician to process over 1,000 samples a day.
On June 3, Chinese scientists have completed the genome sequencing of the virus but found no evidence to show that the virus has any variation to make it contagious.
The sequencing result was uploaded to GenBank at the National Center for Biotechnology Information in the United States.
Testing and comparing genome sequence of different strains may help scientists find effective measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
MERS was first identified in the Republic of Korea in 2012, and recently reappeared, killing at least 24 people. A total of 166 persons have been detected having the infection as of June 19, Friday.
The findings of the Chinese scientists were first published in the journal Emerging Microbes & Infections in April.
Recently, Thai authorities have confirmed its first case of MERS, involving a 75-year-old man from Oman who came to Bangkok for treatment of his heart ailment.
