New COVID-19 Mouth Swab Test Can Be Completed On-Premises in 13-25 Minutes Without Laboratory Involvement

GeneMe (Gdańsk, Poland) has developed FRANKD, a fast, scalable and reliable mouth swab test for COVID-19 that is completed on-premises in on average 13-25 minutes with no laboratory involvement.

FRANKD requires less time to produce a result than the gold-standard RT-PCR (Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction) reference test recommended by the World Health Organization. The test uses a patented enzyme rather than the currently scarce reagents used in RT-PCR tests to rapidly produce a definitive and reliable result. The use of a portable machine analyzer to amplify the virus within the sample ensures high test accuracy. Additionally, testing on-premises by trained staff removes delays and the challenge of getting test samples to lab technicians to process.

Individuals use the secure, free Yoti digital ID app to link themselves to their test. With consent, the digital test result is automatically added into the tested person’s Yoti. Individuals can present or share their tamperproof, verified details with other parties in seconds - including their test result - whether in person or online, with a tap of a button or scan of a QR code.

The test has been independently validated with 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity by the Gdańsk University of Technology and European CE regulatory certification is expected by early June. FRANKD is currently in talks with governments and businesses across Europe to roll out millions of tests over the coming months, enabling key industries to test hundreds of thousands of employees daily, to help understand the spread of the virus and to monitor the infection R factor more accurately. FRANKD is scalable with five million monthly tests expected from August. During June and July, FRANKD tests will be processed using hundreds of existing analyzer machines that are able to handle 90 tests every 30 minutes, although GeneMe expects affordable bespoke machines to be available from August.

“We are extremely pleased with the quality of the FRANKD test and the contribution it will make towards the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and its damaging effects on public health and society,” said Dawid Nidzworski Founder and CEO of GeneMe and developer of FRANKD.

Related Links:
GeneMe