The University of South Wales says it has developed a coronavirus testing kit which can give results within half an hour. The test is still to be evaluated to see how accurate it is but the local NHS health board has said there are promising early signs.
This is one of a number of rapid diagnostic tests that are being developed around the country.
For example, scientists at Norwich Research Park have been working on a faster test using a similar method to the University of South Wales team.
The University of Exeter has developed a “multiplex” test – one that can both test for signs of a current infection, and for antibodies that would suggest a previous infection. This is also still in the process of being evaluated.
The Exeter team has begun trialling the test at St Thomas’s Hospital in London and says that, if successful, it could give patients an answer in five minutes.
