Turkish scientists have created a "one-second" COVID-19 test kit

The new COVID-19 diagnostic kit created by experts at Istanbul Technical University (TÜ) in Istanbul, Turkey, offers results in under a second. Yusuf Yac, an Ege University chemistry professor, worked on the polymeric material kit with Ph.D. student Tuba Elicker and other experts.

The kit was created as part of a research project to build a rapid diagnostic tool. The researchers identified the coronavirus using a fluorescence bioassay and a novel synthetic method.

Healthcare practitioners and others with no medical experience can utilize patients' saliva to detect COVID-19 and its variants in less than a second. Professor Yac explains that by collecting coronavirus samples from patients, scientists were able to assess the state of their kit using a fluorescence characteristic. Concerning the coronavirus, he stated that they were working to improve the kit's detection capabilities.

With today's technologies, detecting polymerase chain reaction (PCR) takes a lengthy time. He went on to remark that "anyone can do experiments with this equipment," adding that "there are various methods to use Yac's technology, and paper isn't the only one." "It works by evaluating the interaction between the polymer and the virus," he says. He claimed it was a new, less expensive option to existing tests with a success rate of 95%, in comparison to previous kits.

Scientists are working hard to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from spreading to Turkey to combat future coronavirus outbreaks. Following the outbreak in March 2020, the Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council (TÜBITAK) launched a scientific research platform. 

As a result of its utilization, numerous anti-virus vaccines and treatments have been discovered. The Turkish government has hailed its vaccine, Turkovac, as a significant advancement in the fight against viruses.