We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App





New All-in-One COVID-19 Test Kit Identifies 99.9% of All Known SARS-CoV-2 Strains

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 12 Apr 2021
A COVID-19 molecular test kit can successfully identify the “double mutant” variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Lucira Health, Inc.’s (Emeryville, CA, USA) single-use COVID-19 All-In-One Test Kit has been found to be reactive to at least 99.9% of all known SARS-CoV-2 strains. More...
The “double mutant” variant was first identified in India on March 24, 2021, and found in California on March 25, 2021, by Stanford Clinical Virology Lab scientists. Unlike other variants, it has two genetic mutation sequences that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) is tracking. Variants occur when viruses replicate themselves and include well-known strains first discovered in the UK, South Africa, and Brazil. Variants can occur when the genetic code packaged inside the virus starts copying itself and the new copies inadvertently start replicating a new, mutant code. These errors can cause a virus to elude the immune system and become more challenging to detect.

The targeted, molecular amplification that LUCIRA COVID-19 All-In-One Test Kit and PCR tests employ makes them demonstrably more sensitive and reliable than “rapid” antigen tests, which can miss active COVID-19 infections. The LUCIRA COVID-19 All-In-One Test Kit Test Kit fits in the palm of a hand, extracts genetic material from the virus and amplifies it similar to PCR lab tests. Each Lucira test kit contains everything needed to run one COVID-19 test. Users get the test device, two AA batteries, sample vial, swab and simple instructions. The batteries are inserted into the device and the sample vial is placed in the test unit. The user then opens the test swab packet and rotates the swab in each nostril five times. The swab is then stirred in the sample vial, which is then gently pressed into the test unit to start the test. The “ready” light will blink until a “positive” or “negative” green light is illuminated within 30 minutes. Lucira’s easy-to-use ‘swab, stir and detect’ test platform demonstrated that 100% of users successfully performed the test in less than about two minutes of hands-on time in usability testing.

“A test is only helpful if it can detect the virus it’s designed to find. That’s why we started routinely monitoring COVID-19 viral variants, even before the FDA’s voluntary guidelines were released this February. As sequences from new virus strains become available, we compare their genetic code with our test using a well-established, extremely accurate computer model,” said Lucira Health Chief Technology Officer and co-founder Debkishore Mitra, Ph.D. “Since we began this monitoring, our Lucira test kit has been reactive to more than 99.9% of available COVID-19 viral sequences, which are roughly 30,000 letters long. It’s complex work, but really important since users rely on our test for accurate results.”

“Our focus is on providing a test that’s easy for an individual to use and extremely accurate. If someone uses our ‘gentle swab’ test and has COVID-19, they can know in as few as 11 minutes on-the-spot. If they are not infected, they will know within 30 minutes. Precision and performance matter, and we can’t afford to let any variants escape detection,” Dr. Mitra added.

Related Links:
Lucira Health, Inc.


Gold Member
Universal Transport Solution
Puritan®UniTranz-RT
Portable Electronic Pipette
Mini 96
New
Gold Member
Automatic Hematology Analyzer
DH-800 Series
New
Urine Chemistry Control
Dropper Urine Chemistry Control
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: The nanotechnology-based liquid biopsy test could identify cancer at its early stages (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

2-Hour Cancer Blood Test to Transform Tumor Detection

Glioblastoma and other aggressive cancers remain difficult to control largely because tumors can recur after treatment. Current diagnostic methods, such as invasive biopsies or expensive liquid biopsies,... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: New research points to protecting blood during radiation therapy (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Pioneering Model Measures Radiation Exposure in Blood for Precise Cancer Treatments

Scientists have long focused on protecting organs near tumors during radiotherapy, but blood — a vital, circulating tissue — has largely been excluded from dose calculations. Each blood cell passing through... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: An adult fibrosarcoma case report has shown the importance of early diagnosis and targeted therapy (Photo courtesy of Sultana and Sailaja/Oncoscience)

Accurate Pathological Analysis Improves Treatment Outcomes for Adult Fibrosarcoma

Adult fibrosarcoma is a rare and highly aggressive malignancy that develops in connective tissue and often affects the limbs, trunk, or head and neck region. Diagnosis is complex because tumors can mimic... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Conceptual design of the CORAL capsule for microbial sampling in the small intestine (H. Mohammed et al., Device (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.device.2025.100904)

Coral-Inspired Capsule Samples Hidden Bacteria from Small Intestine

The gut microbiome has been linked to conditions ranging from immune disorders to mental health, yet conventional stool tests often fail to capture bacterial populations in the small intestine.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.