A empresa farmacêutica portuguesa, BioJam, acaba de lançar um novo teste de diagnóstico único capaz de detetar de uma só vez tanto a Covid-19 como a gripe, duas doenças que, por apresentarem sintomas semelhantes, são muitas vezes confundidas.
New diagnostic test capable of detecting both Covid-19 and the flu at once.
According to the company's statement, "the NADAL COVID-19 Ag+Influenza A/B test allows, in just 15 minutes and with a single sample collected via swab, to diagnose possible cases of COVID-19 and the flu."
The new diagnostic tool emerges as winter approaches, a time when it's very possible to "simultaneously encounter a 'wave' of COVID-19 with a 'wave' of the flu," according to experts.
"The difficulty in distinguishing the symptoms of the two diseases, combined with the current pressure on healthcare services, has led some hospitals in the National Health Service (NHS) to begin simultaneously testing for COVID-19 and the flu using this 'two-in-one' solution," the note explains.
Carlos Monteiro, CEO and Founder of BioJam, states that "we are living in difficult times that require all of us to reinvent ourselves every day to provide the best possible response to combat the worst-case scenarios anticipated with the arrival of winter."
In this way, the responsible party considers it "essential to introduce solutions to the market that allow for the diagnosis of possible cases of co-infection by both viruses (flu and SARS-CoV-2). According to a study published in the Journal of Medical Virology, this viral combination has resulted in worse health outcomes in some cases," he says.
The test in question is based on a "double lateral flow system, performing both antigen and flu double testing," without any "need for instrumentation, meaning the test is conducted with a single simple device that detects the presence" of both viruses, "in human nasopharyngeal samples."
"Manufactured in Germany, this rapid Duo test constitutes a reliable and accessible tool for detecting infection clusters on a large scale, thereby reducing the spread of diseases and mitigating the inherent risks of their association," the company further reveals.
As advantages of this new solution, the company points out, "reduced risk of error and misidentification, reduction in human resources allocated to testing, savings in the acquisition of a single test for two diagnoses, reduction of discomfort for the patient," among others.
News published on https://executivedigest.sapo.pt/
If you want to know more about DUO tests, contact us via email: geral@biojam.pt
If you wish to learn more about the rapid Antigen COVID-19 test click here.
