Scientists from Oxford University have developed a test that detects and identifies viruses in less than five minutes, including coronavirus, using machine-learning software.
The new test is able to differentiate with high accuracy SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the Covid-19 disease, from negative clinical samples, as well as from other common respiratory pathogens such as influenza and seasonal human coronaviruses.
It is similar to current tests that take throat swabs of potential Covid-19 patients. Although the results from most tests can take up to a couple of days, the new method is quicker because the sample doesn’t need to undergo genome extraction and the viruses don’t need to be purified or amplified to identify them.
Instead, the new procedure rapidly labels virus particles in the sample with short fluorescent DNA strands. A microscope is then used to collect images of the sample, with each image containing hundreds of fluorescently-labelled viruses.
Machine-learning software automatically identifies the virus present in the sample. Distinct virus types have differences in their fluorescence labelling due to variation in surface chemistry, size, and shape, which means they can be quickly identified.
The researchers aim to develop an integrated device to be used for testing in businesses, music venues, airports and other public spaces to establish and safeguard Covid-19-free areas.
Scientists are working with Oxford University Innovation (OUI) and two external business advisers in helping to mass-produce and distribute the tests. They are seeking investment to speed up the process, so the method can be used as a real-time diagnostic platform capable of detecting multiple virus threats.
The scientists have worked with clinical collaborators at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford to validate the technique, which was confirmed by conventional RT-PCR (Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) methods. RT-PCR is a technique used in most Covid-19 tests, which combines reverse transcription of RNA into DNA and the amplification of specific DNA targets using polymerase chain reaction.
“Unlike other technologies that detect a delayed antibody response or that require expensive, tedious and time-consuming sample preparation, our method quickly detects intact virus particles; meaning the assay is simple, extremely rapid, and cost-effective,” Prof Achilles Kapanidis of Oxford University’s Department of Physics, which developed the test, said.
Scientists at the university hope the new technology can make mass testing a reality.
“A significant concern for the upcoming winter months is the unpredictable effects of co-circulation of SARS-CoV-2 with other seasonal respiratory viruses.
“We have shown that our assay can reliably distinguish between different viruses in clinical samples, a development that offers a crucial advantage in the next phase of the pandemic,” said Dr Nicole Robb of Warwick Medical School, said.
Last month, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Operation Moonshot, a plan to expand testing from hundreds of thousands of tests each day to 10 million by early 2021, but doctors have said the programme is already in crisis.
The government has been under fire for not being quick enough to act on track and trace, as well as on mass testing.
NHS Providers, a body that represents the UK’s National Health Service, warned on Friday that several NHS trusts stood down in-house coronavirus testing for staff in the summer, ahead of a second wave of cases.
Despite assurances from the government about testing capacity, some staff in virus hotspots were then unable to access testing when the NHS came under strain earlier in the autumn.
INDIA%20SQUAD
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Ipaf in numbers
Established: 2008
Prize money: $50,000 (Dh183,650) for winners and $10,000 for those on the shortlist.
Winning novels: 13
Shortlisted novels: 66
Longlisted novels: 111
Total number of novels submitted: 1,780
Novels translated internationally: 66
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 1 (Carroll 82')
Leicester City 2 (Maddison 55', Tielemans 72')
Man of the match James Maddison (Leicester)
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
More on Quran memorisation:
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
