A Pakistani doctor living in Canada's Toronto has developed an instant diagnostic test for COVID-19 using a smartphone. Raza Bashir Tarar, the High Commissioner for Pakistan to Canada congratulated Dr. Naqeeb Khalid for developing the smartphone-based diagnostic test for the novel Coronavirus caused disease. In a video conference with the Pakistani doctor, he said that the idea of a COVID-19 test, being displayed and conducted by a smartphone, is commendable.
The invention of the new test, which is not only quick but also hassle-free, accessible, and affordable, would be extremely helpful to people in terms of overcoming the global health crisis and fighting viruses that cause tropical diseases such as dengue.
Efficacy of COVID-19 Test
A clinical trial of the newly developed test would ensure the efficacy of the COVID-19 test. Once the effectiveness of the test gets confirmed, it will pave the way for necessary approvals before the launch for widespread use.
The developer of this innovative test, Dr. Khalid, graduated from King Edward Medical University in 1983. He told the High Commissioner that this new test for COVID-19 is based on a digital platform that displays the positive or negative result instantly on any smartphone. It has also the ability to store the results along with time and GPS information.
He also said that this instant, accurate, and low-cost COVID-19 testing does not rely on laboratory testing and it is essential in containing the pandemic. According to Dr. Khalid, the world can control the COVID-19 outbreak and return to normal lives and economies, using the test along with the vaccines, developed to safeguard people around the world from the SARS-CoV-2 caused disease, which has affected over 71 million people and killed more than 1,607,000 individuals globally.
As of Sunday, December 13, Canada has reported over 458,500 cases, and more than 13,000 deaths, while the neighboring country, the US, recorded more than 16 million COVID-19 cases, and over 297,800 deaths.
