Coronavirus: start in France of a new clinical study for screening

Text by: Simon Rozé Follow

Tests, tests, tests. This is the watchword of the WHO to contain the Covid-19 epidemic. In France, a clinical study begins this Saturday at the Montpellier University Hospital on a new test system that could produce results in half an hour.

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A saliva sample, a half hour wait, a band that changes color in the presence of the coronavirus, and that's it.

Franck Molina is a CNRS researcher, specialist in innovation in medical diagnosis. He is part of the easy cov team, this new test which begins its clinical study: “ Today, routine laboratory techniques use machines and experts. We, all we have done is that we have transformed this methodology into something simplified that works without a device, without a laboratory. On the other hand, what is very important in clinical practice is to know if, when practiced, there are false positives or false negatives. So for us, it is very important to have this clinical study which will allow, at the end, to be able to give precise figures of sensitivity and specificity. "

A rapid and above all reliable test, an additional tool against the epidemic.

" We absolutely must maintain a strong capacity for routine testing in hospitals, first today in the midst of a crisis, but even after the crisis to be able to test a large part of people," adds Franck Molina. But to be able to get as close as possible to the population in probably more daily conditions, information on the presence or not of the virus and there, this heavy logistics will not necessarily answer the question. "

This clinical study should deliver its results at the end of the month. There are then just under a million of these tests that can be made available next month.

► Also read: Coronavirus: update on current clinical trials

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