Scientists Develop Test to Quickly Identify COVID-19 Variants
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A group of U.S. scientists have developed a lab test that can quickly identify which variant of the coronavirus has infected someone who tests positive for COVID-19, according to a recent report published in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics. The test, which can identify all current variants of concern and potentially future ones, could help health officials track the pandemic more easily and help doctors treat patients more effectively.
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@kanish PCR tests use a technique known as the polymerase chain reaction, which allows scientists to take a small sample of DNA and amplify it to a large enough amount to be studied. Most current PCR tests for COVID-19 only detect the presence of the coronavirus and don’t identify a particular strain of the virus. Public health officials have struggled to track the different variants throughout the pandemic with researchers obtaining physical samples and running a complex genetic sequencing process.