A wide array of rapid antigen test kits are currently available for the diagnosis of COVID-19. However, the accuracy and sensitivity of these diagnostic kits are lower than that of RT-PCR tests despite their widespread use. Therefore, these rapid diagnostics kits are considered unreliable for the accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2, particularly in asymptomatic individuals.
As a result, there remains an urgent need to develop rapid, economical, and highly sensitive diagnostic kits for the early detection of SARS-CoV-2. According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , researchers from Philadelphia have developed a rapid COVID-19 diagnostic tool, known as the Low-cost Electrochemical Advanced Diagnostic (LEAD) technology, which utilizes easily accessible and inexpensive materials , including graphite pencil leads and a plastic vial. This self-use…
