A major development in the fight against coronavirus: the German engineering and technology company Bosch announced on Thursday that it has developed a rapid test for coronavirus, which can give results in just two and a half hours - instead of two days. 

Coronavirus test results in less than 2,5 hours

At a press conference in Stuttgart on Thursday, Bosch announced that its new, fully automated rapid test for COVID-19, which the company developed in just six weeks, can detect an infection in under two and a half hours. Up until now, a diagnosis has typically taken at least 24 hours and usually closer to 48 hours. 

The “innovative” test meets the requirements of the World Health Organisation and, in laboratory tests, delivered results with an accuracy of over 95 percent. For the test, a sample is taken from the patient’s nose or throat and then inserted into a cartridge, which the fully-automated machine then analyses. 

In enabling hospitals, GP surgeries and laboratories to make fast diagnoses, the new test will therefore provide invaluable help in containing the exponential spread of coronavirus. “With the Bosch COVID-19 rapid test, we want to contribute to the rapid containment of the corona pandemic. Infected patients can be identified and isolated more quickly,” said Bosch boss Volkmar Denner. 

Tests can be carried out onsite

Bosch states that the new test is one of the first fully-automated, molecular diagnostic tests that can be carried out directly at the medical facility - eliminating the need for samples to be taken to laboratories elsewhere and thus saving valuable time.

“Time is one of the decisive factors in the fight against coronavirus. Reliable, fast diagnosis directly onsite without detours - that is the great advantage of our solution,” said Denner. 

The new test should be available in Germany from April onwards, with further European and non-European markets to follow. 

Thumb photo credit: Bosch.com