Pathag is the quickest and easiest-to-use kit developed within the project. It doesn’t require any device and hardly any training and provides results in less than one minute. The system uses antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 that are fixed to microscopic latex beads. This solution is mixed into the patient’s sample (e.g. a nasopharyngeal swab or sputum). If the sample contains the virus, the antibodies bind to the viral particles and bring the latex beads along, forming a clump visible to the naked eye. The reaction, called latex fixation test, occurs within 10-20 seconds and can be done on a small, inexpensive paper strip.

Pathag’s accuracy is expected to be lower than the other two CORONADX kits but suitable for quick, first-line detection thanks to its rapidity and simplicity. It could be used for instance to screen carriers of the virus at airports, transport hubs, cruise ships, public gatherings or to monitor home quarantines.

Watch the video presenting Pathag