$2 At-Home COVID-19 Test Could Detect Delta Variant In 55 Minutes

A new COVID-19 diagnostic low-cost test now allows users to self-test for variants at home using a sample of their saliva. According to experts, the test could cost as low as $2. Scientists from Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and several Boston-area hospitals recently created the Minimally Instrumented SHERLOCK (miSHERLOCK) diagnostic test that gives users their results within 55 minutes. The CRISPR-based diagnostic test was designed to be able to distinguish between three different COVID-19 variants, including the highly contagious Delta strain. The test will only need a sample of the user's saliva. The results will then be sent to an accompanying smartphone app within an hour.