Hong Kong biotech firm says its 30-minute coronavirus tests are ‘comparable’ to the ‘gold standard’

Hong Kong biotech firm says its 30-minute coronavirus tests are ‘comparable’ to the ‘gold standard’

SINGAPORE — Fast and accurate coronavirus tests have become a reality, according to genetic testing firm Prenetics.The Hong Kong-based company last week told CNBC that the accuracy of its rapid coronavirus tests is comparable to the "gold standard" of PCR testing.Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests have been widely used to detect coronavirus infections since the pandemic started. They are accurate in diagnosing patients, but results take hours to return.Prenetics' tests, which were developed by researchers from Oxford University and use a loop-mediated isothermal amplification technique, return results in 30 minutes.In terms of accuracy, it is comparable to PCR standard and also much better than antigen testing.Multiple companies have released rapid tests, but most are antigen tests, which detect proteins on the surface of the virus. PCR tests and Prenetics' tests detect