A staff member prepares reagent for quality checking of nucleic acid extraction kits at Chengdu Bio-Base Technologies Co Ltd in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, Feb 10, 2020. Since the outbreak of the new coronavirus epidemic, the technical staff of Chengdu Bio-Base Technologies Co Ltd have returned to work quickly to produce the nucleic acid extraction kits for sample testing to help prevent and control the epidemic. (LIU KUN / XINHUA)

GUANGZHOU – A new rapid testing kit for novel coronavirus (covid-19) was developed by China's State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, the Guangdong-based laboratory announced on its social media platform Friday.

Authorities in charge of the laboratory claimed the test results can be shown within 15 minutes after collecting a drop of blood.

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Compared with the current RT-PCR nucleic acid tests, the new kits make testing simpler, more effective and specific since it may allow on-site screening among suspected patients and close contacts of infected patients.

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However, according to some experts, the new test method has not yet received consensus in the testing industry.