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UF Researchers Create Nearly Instant COVID Test

Researchers at the University of Florida have recently developed a rapid Coronavirus testing method which gives results almost instantly.

“You have disposable strips, where the patients can put their salvia in, so either you put it in the mouth, you spit on it, and then you plug it into the sensor and it will tell you if you have the virus in your saliva," said Professor Josephine F. Esquivel-Upshaw in the College of Dentistry.

The versatility of this technology allows the sensor to detect more than just COVID-19.

“This sensor has actually been used to detect Zika virus in the past, it can detect cerebral spinal fluid and we are actually developing it to detect possibly oral cancers in the new future," she said.

UF expects this new technology to be highly effective in supporting the travel industry, the hospital industry, returning students to school, and overall patient care.

Nicholas is a reporter for WUFT News who can be reached by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.