A test for COVID-19 that gives instantaneous results could be available within months. The test is being developed by the Israeli startup Newsight together with the Arc Innovation Center at Sheba Medical Center.
Using a sample of blood or saliva, the test uses a device that utilizes light waves for molecular content analysis. Initial tests of the device to detect the coronvius in fluid samples have been close to 100% accurate. Test results are produced within one second.
Similar devices for pathogen identification are already available but are clumsy and costly. The new device being developed is a sensor chip that can be manufactured at a reasonable cost.
The Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer near Tel Aviv has been ranked as one of the top ten hospitals in the world for the last two years by Newsweek Magazine.