There are two most common types of COVID-19 tests on the market. The first uses polymerase chain reaction
The second category of tests focuses ondetection of antibodies. However, it can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks after a person has been exposed to the virus to develop antibodies.
In recent years, researchers have achievedcertain successes in the creation of biosensors that are used in points of medical care. To create them, the developers used two-dimensional nanomaterials, for example, graphene. It is needed to detect diseases. The main advantages of graphene-based biosensors are their sensitivity, as well as low production costs and fast results.
The biosensor consists of two components:electrical measurement platforms and probes that detect viral RNA. To create a platform, the researchers first coated filter paper with a layer of graphene nanoplates to create a conductive film. They then placed a gold electrode on top of the graphene as a contact pad for electrical readout. Both gold and graphene are highly sensitive and highly conductive, making this platform ultra-sensitive: it can detect changes in electrical signals.
The team tested the operation of this sensor:she tested several volunteers for COVID-19. The sensor confirmed the presence of viral genetic material in less than five minutes. It was also able to determine the viral RNA load in these samples. Viral load is an important quantitative indicator of infection progression, which is difficult to measure using current diagnostic methods.
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