Examples of One Health co-operation in COVID-19 diagnostics: University of Surrey
Our world faces the COVID-19 global pandemic, and many One Health EJP consortium partners have key roles in managing the situation at national level across Europe.
For example, FAO has recognised that enormous processivity is needed for the diagnostic capacity required. Veterinary laboratories have an extraordinary experience in the diagnosis of infectious diseases also in emergency situations and can therefore be tremendously supportive in this. In this series of ‘Examples of One Health co-operation in COVID-19 diagnostics’, we highlight how One Health co-operation has been established across Europe.
School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey , UK:
A team of scientists at University of Surrey, Lancaster University and Brunel University are developing an easy point of care COVID-19 test, which can inform people if they have SARS-CoV-2 in just half an hour.
The proposed molecular test and smartphone app would allow people who are self-isolating test themselves, and allow health care workers test both patients and themselves – helping the UK to dramatically upscale its testing capacity.
The battery-operated and hand-held smart phone-linked device is highly cost effective and easy to use. It works by taking nasal or throat swabs, which are put into the device. Then in 30 minutes, it can determine if someone has SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 outbreak. The samples don’t need to go to a laboratory and the same device can test six people at once at a cost of around £4 per person.
Professor Roberto La Ragione, One Health EJP’s Work Package 6 Leader and Deputy Head of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey, said:
“We are delighted to be involved in the development of rapid diagnostic tools for COVID-19. With a fast response from manufacturers, we could deliver a point-of-care test kit to support mass-scale testing within the NHS and globally.”
Click here to listen to the BBC Surrey Radio interview where Professor Roberto La Ragione
Click here to read the full press release.
