Science Alert confirms there is a new test that could help distinguish viruses without needing to detect the virus directly. Veuer’s Chloe Hurst has the story!
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00:00ScienceAlert confirms there is a new test that could help distinguish viruses without needing to detect the virus directly.
00:07A nasal swab test developed by researchers from the Yale University could be a quick and effective way of identifying hidden viruses that would otherwise be missed.
00:16Researcher Ellen Foxman says,
00:18Finding a dangerous new virus is like searching for a needle in a haystack. We found a way to significantly reduce the size of the haystack.
00:27The previous ways to suss out new viruses that may become a threat to human health includes monitoring illness in animals.
00:34However, the site reports,
00:36Not all animal pathogens are destined to infect humans.
00:40The researchers write,
00:41Although screening animal or pooled human samples might identify unrecognized viruses, this approach does not specifically identify viruses capable of causing human disease.
00:52Based on initial testing, doctors and scientists may now be able to be on the lookout for emerging variants that could evade current treatments.