ISU engineers are creating mail-in, no-touch tests for COVID-19

THE BIG CROWDS THIS YEAR AMID THE PANDEMIC. A TEAM OF ENGINEERS AT IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY IS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO MAKE CORONAVIRUS TESTING MORE CONVENIENT. KAYLA JAMES TELLS US ABOUT HOW YOU COULD TEST YOURSELF WITHOUT HAVING TO LEAVE THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME. KAYLA? KAYLA: YES, MAX, THAT IS RIGHT, AND YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO WHEN SOMEONE IS HOME. INSTEAD, THAT PERSON WOULD TAKE THEIR OWN SWAB AND SEND THE SAMPLE TO THE LAB IN A SPECIALIZED ENVELOPE. NIGEL: YOU WOULD SPREAD THE SAMPLE ON AND THEN LET THAT INCUBATE. KAYLA: AND THEN USE A SECOND ONE, LIKE THIS ONE, LETTIN IT SIT OVERNIGHT. RIGH AFTER, THOSE CARDS ARE MAILED TO A LABORATORY FOR RESULTS. NIGEL: AND SO, THE HOPE IS THAT FROM THE TIME YOU SEAL IT UP ON, THERE IS NO REASON TO TOUCH THE SAMPLE. KAYLA: THIS IS WHAT THE TEAM AT IOWA STATE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR MONTHS. THEY CALL IT THE COVID-19 DETECTIVE TEST. THEY SAY IT GIVES PEOPLE AN OPTION INSTEAD OF WAITING IN LINE, AND HEALTH-CARE OPERATORS WOULD NOT HAVE TO GET AS CLOSE TO A POTENTIAL CASE. NIGEL SAYS THIS COULD LEAD TO BETTER RESULTS AND BETTER CONTACT TRACING. NIGEL: WE WANT THE PERSON WHO SENT IN THE SAMPLE TO BE ABLE TO LOG ON AND GIVE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION. KAYLA: THE ENVELOPE WILL HAVE A SPECIAL VIRUS-KILLING COATING AND WILL BE DESTROYED AFTER BEING SCANNED. THE PROFESSOR SAYS THERE IS A HOPE THAT THIS TESTING WILL WORK FOR MORE THAN JUST THE CORONAVIRUS. NIGEL: WHEN THERE IS A FUTURE PROBLEM, HOPEFULLY ONE OF THESE ISSUES OF THE LONGTIME RESULT WILL BE RESOLVED. KAYLA: NOW, THERE IS NOT YET A SET DATE FOR WHEN THIS PROJECT WILL BE DONE OR WHEN TESTING WOULD BE AVAILABLE, BUT THE PROFESSOR SAYS IF THEIR PROJECT RUNS OUT, HE ESTIMATES THE TOTAL COST O

Iowa State University announced Friday that engineers are working on a no-touch, mail-in, fast scan test for the coronavirus. The university said people could take home a kit that would cost approximately $1 and be able to provide their own nasal and cough samples. Using a card in the kit, they would spread the sample on the card before putting it in an envelope with a virus-killing coating. The kit would then sit overnight before bringing it to a collection center or to a mailing location. When the materials are tested, "the unopened envelope would be scanned by an electronic reader to determine a positive or negative result. Then, that never-opened envelope, samples and all, would be dropped in the incinerator," the university stated. The person would receive their results via text or email. “We’re trying to make it so that no one has to touch the samples,” said Nigel Reuel, an assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at Iowa State University. “Let’s see if we can make this possible.”Developers are hoping that it would create "a real-time outbreak map with demographic details to help public officials monitor the infection." Reuel came up with the idea and received a $200,000 Rapid Response Research grant from the National Science Foundation for one year. There's no set date yet for when this type of testing will be available.

AMES, Iowa —

Iowa State University announced Friday that engineers are working on a no-touch, mail-in, fast scan test for the coronavirus.

The university said people could take home a kit that would cost approximately $1 and be able to provide their own nasal and cough samples. Using a card in the kit, they would spread the sample on the card before putting it in an envelope with a virus-killing coating. The kit would then sit overnight before bringing it to a collection center or to a mailing location.

When the materials are tested, "the unopened envelope would be scanned by an electronic reader to determine a positive or negative result. Then, that never-opened envelope, samples and all, would be dropped in the incinerator," the university stated.

The person would receive their results via text or email.

“We’re trying to make it so that no one has to touch the samples,” said Nigel Reuel, an assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at Iowa State University. “Let’s see if we can make this possible.”

Developers are hoping that it would create "a real-time outbreak map with demographic details to help public officials monitor the infection."

Reuel came up with the idea and received a $200,000 Rapid Response Research grant from the National Science Foundation for one year.

There's no set date yet for when this type of testing will be available.

ISU engineers are creating mail-in, no-touch tests for COVID-19

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