April 10, 2020 | Coronavirus research, tools and offerings are advancing at a breakneck pace. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is serving as a rallying cry across the diagnostics landscape inspiring creative new solutions, partnerships, and ideas to address the outbreak, treat and prevent the disease it causes, and address the life adjustments of our new normal. Here are some of the free tools, new solutions, and research this week.
Industry News
The “UK Rapid Test Consortium, UK-RTC” has launched to design and develop a new antibody test to determine whether people have developed immunity after contracting the virus. The consortium includes Oxford University, BBI Solutions, Abingdon Health, CIGA Healthcare. No validated antibody tests have proven accurate enough. The consortium will draw on BBI Solutions’ rapid test development and expertise, as well as its wider manufacturing capabilities, primarily at its headquarters at Crumlin, South Wales, and its site in Edinburgh. BBI Press Release
Bardy Diagnostics’ Carnation Ambulatory Monitor (CAM) Patch has been chosen for use in protocols to measure QT Segments in COVID-19 patients who have been prescribed Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). BardyDx’s CAM Patch will be used in newly established protocols at hospitals across the Seattle, Washington area to monitor cardiac rhythms for COVID-19 patients on HCQ after hospital discharge, as well as for outpatients. HCQ has been demonstrated, in certain populations, to prolong the QT interval, resulting in a potentially lethal arrhythmia called Torsades de Pointes. The unique ability of the BardyDx CAM Patch to detect and record low frequency, low amplitude cardiac rhythms is especially valuable in measuring QT intervals and diagnosing Torsades de Pointes. Press release.
Avacta Group, the developer of Affimer biotherapeutics and reagents, is collaborating with Cytiva, formerly known as GE Healthcare Life Sciences. The companies will develop and manufacture an Affimer-based point-of-care rapid test intended for screening of large populations to diagnose the COVID-19 coronavirus infection. Avacta is already generating Affimer reagents that detect the COVID-19 virus and together with Cytiva will develop and manufacture a test capable of diagnosing the infection in minutes using a respiratory sample such as saliva. Cytiva will transfer this diagnostic assay onto its proprietary point-of-care test strip platform and both companies will work together to complete analytical and clinical validation of the test as quickly as possible. Avacta will own the intellectual property relating to the COVID-19 Affimer-reagents and will retain all the commercial rights to future products. Further commercial details have not been disclosed. Press release.
The University of Liege has developed an automated test for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 that increases the daily capacity of detection by 2,000 tests. The technique could quickly be adopted by other reference centers in Belgium (GSK, UCB, Janssen Pharmaceutica and KULeuven) as well as by other countries. The test can detect carriers of the virus, whether they are sick or asymptomatic carriers. Reliable results are available in half a day. Press release.
Mount Sinai Health System has launched a web-based app to capture the symptoms and spread of COVID-19 across New York City—currently the epicenter of the largest outbreak in the U.S. A team of data scientists, physicians, and engineers are seeking citywide enrollment with the tool. Users are asked to complete an initial survey with questions about demographics, exposure, and symptom history, and thereafter short daily surveys about their symptoms through text messages sent to their phones. Results could guide long-term research about factors affecting the spread of the virus and jumpstart enrollment for future clinical trials and studies for treatments. Press release.
The University of Melbourne is making a new online course available free of charge to medical, nursing and paramedical staff to help them perform lung ultrasound scans at the bedside to diagnose COVID-19. Participants will learn how to perform a lung ultrasound, the implications of specific ultrasound findings in COVIC-19 and how to use an ultrasound encased in a plastic sheath for tighter infection control. The rapid-fire course takes about 30 hours and includes simulation exercises. Health professionals can sign up for the course starting now. Press release.
Inspirata, Hamamatsu, and KiKo, Knowledge in Knowledge out are joining to offer free remote pathology tools to help healthcare institutions provide flexibility to their staff during COVID-19. Inspirata will offer its comprehensive pathology workflow solution, which enables the actual remote use and sharing of cases among pathologists. Hamamatsu will provide its high-quality research-use-only Whole Slide Image (WSI) scanner, NanoZoomer, to scan glass slides submitted by institutions for research and secondary consults. This device will not be used for any primary human diagnosis. The founders of KiKo Knowledge Hub, a knowledge-sharing platform for pathologists and other physicians, will leverage their pathology practitioners’ expertise to ensure successful scanning and processing of all received pathology slides. The new free remote pathology service is available through Inspirata’s dedicated COVID-19 Preparedness page.
Latest from the Literature
The Fleischner Society, an international, multidisciplinary medical society for thoracic radiology, published a consensus statement on the role of chest imaging in the management of patients with COVID-19. The statement was jointly published in the journals Radiology and Chest and represents the opinions of experts practicing in 10 countries with the highest burden of COVID-19 worldwide. Chest imaging is not routinely indicated in asymptomatic individuals or patients with suspected COVID-19 and mild clinical symptoms, but it is for patients with COVID-19 who have worsening respiratory status and patients with moderate to severe features of COVID-19 regardless of COVID-19 test results. DOI:10.1148/radiol.2020201365