British firm readies launch of AI-powered rapid Covid test

Two British companies have joined forces to develop a rapid Covid test that they claim will be the most sensitive in the world when it launches in March.

The lateral flow test was developed by Excalibur Healthcare Services, a Cambridge-based diagnostics company founded and led by biotech entrepreneur Sir Chris Evans. Embedded in the test is artificial intelligence software from medical technology company Sensyne Health.

If a lateral flow test is positive, a red line appears on the result window. The stronger the line, the higher the viral load. "Some people light up like a Christmas tree," Sir Chris said.

This new test is ultra-sensitive and can detect in less than 10 minutes extremely low levels of the Covid virus in the body.

"I am confident this is the best test in the world," said Sir Chris. "No one has ever had a lateral flow test get the level we have and it is a combination of that brilliant algorithm software and our sensitive reagents."

The test is simple to administer and is read using a smartphone app. The algorithm in the app interprets the test result and automatically records it on a Government database.

It is being validated by the Government's scientific research facility at Porton Down and is set to be approved by regulators within the next few weeks. A less complex version of the test without the AI software has already been approved for use in identifying people who have Covid but show no symptoms.

When it launches in March it will cost about £5.

"The whole point of the lateral flow test is to measure if someone is infectious. Once they get to antigen levels below what our test can measure, you are getting into the territory of false positives and they are almost certainly not contagious. That is why this is a game-changer and as good as it is going to get in the Covid game," said Sir Chris.

Sir Chris said the new test would be available to everyone in the world and that he was in discussions with the Government about wider rollouts.

It is currently being manufactured in China because that was the only place that could produce the test at scale and quickly, but Excalibur wants to move manufacturing to Britain and is looking at potential sites.