SQI Diagnostics has partnered with AZOVA for the sale and supply of its COVID-19 HOME Antibody Test to its customers in airlines, wholesale clubs, retail pharmacies, grocery chains, US state and international governments, school districts and universities. The agreement is contingent on US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. In regions that authorised the distribution of SQI’s test, consumers will have access via AZOVA’s online digital health platform. The test can identify IgG, IgA and IgM immune responses to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IIT-H) have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based RNA test kit to detect Covid-19 at home. The electronic test, named Covihome, is pending approval. The researchers claim it can deliver results in under 30 minutes for symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. In an independent analysis by the Centre for Cellular And Molecular Biology, the test had an efficiency of 94.2%, sensitivity of 91.3% and specificity of 98.2%. Mass manufacturing of the AI-based Covid-19 test is expected to decrease its price.

Accure Health has reported initial findings from a proof-of-concept study, which demonstrated that its new saliva assay can evaluate the immune response to each Covid-19 vaccine, track neutralising antibody levels and model immune protection against the virus variants. In the study of 111 subjects, the TiMES-Now assay showed better performance compared with standard blood tests in multiple important measures. The new assay was 100 times more sensitive than enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, as well as quicker and cost-effective versus traditional blood-based tests.