Engineers at MIT and Harvard University have developed a small tabletop device that can detect Covid-19 from saliva samples, and deliver results as accurate as PCR tests within an hour.
The device costs around ₹1,100, and the price could come down further once it goes into mass production.
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The new device can also detect the mutations of the virus that are currently reported in several countries, and can be programmed to discover new variants as well.
The test results can be seen in a fluorescent readout, or through a smartphone app that the researchers have also developed.