SKY NEWS: What are the different types of COVID-19 tests - and could saliva samples be transformative?
Political reporter: Alix Culbertson @alixculbertson
Monday 21 June 2021 08:21, UK
COVID-19 testing is becoming more common in the UK as, along with mass vaccinations, it helps to open up society at a time when restrictions are easing.
A university is trialling the use of saliva samples to test for coronavirus - a move researchers claim could be "transformative" for screening large numbers of people and cuts the risk of community transmission.
20-second test
Released in September, the Virolens system uses a portable machine which creates a microscopic holographic image to detect the virus in saliva samples in 20 seconds.
Developed by British companies iAbra and TT Electronics, it uses a digital camera attached to a microscope, which then runs data through a computer that can identify the virus from other cells.
The device has been trialled at Heathrow Airport, whose chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, has urged the government to fast-track the technology to be used across the UK.
