Chinese company Yinyuan Pharmaceutical Technology, owned by BGI Genomics, has developed a rapid test that can detect the "British" strain of the coronavirus; the company spreads a statement.
The test authors note that it can detect a new strain of infection within an hour. It is used if the patient tests positive on COVID-19, and the strain needs to be identified.
The express test uses the ARMS-qPCR method, facilitating the detection of mutated virus strains in the shortest possible time.
The UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, announced that a new, mutated type of coronavirus had been detected in the country and would spread sooner on December 14. The British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, noted that it is 70% more contagious than other species of COVID-19. A national lockdown has been launched in the country to stop the spread.