Two South African entrepreneurs have developed a testing kit that promises to significantly speed up the process of identifying positive Covid-19 cases.
Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Fellows Daniel Ndima and Dineo Lioma have developed a testing kit that provides results in just 65 minutes, through their company CapeBio.
Testing is a pillar of any campaign against coronavirus, not only because it identifies infected individuals but because it also provides an idea of how the virus may be developing within the country. Once scientists potentially understand its spread, government can plan resources accordingly.
The qCPR kits developed by CapeBio could have implications for the country’s ability to weather the current crisis, according to Daniel Ndima, CEO of CapeBio.
“The ability to obtain rapid test results allows us to gain a clearer picture of viral infections, so that we are able to introduce interventions with greater effectiveness,” he says.
“This will remain important even after lockdown, as South Africa has a population of over 55-million people who will need to be monitored on an ongoing basis.
“Our kits help pathologists isolate and identify a virus’s DNA or genetic material from an infected person,” Ndima says. “This makes it possible to detect the virus accurately in a laboratory.”
As a locally manufactured product, the qCPR could mitigate the reliance on overseas imports, ensuring that testing reagents could be accessed quickly and without a wait.
“One of our major challenges is our reliance on imported tests,” Ndima explains. “Most countries are currently experiencing issues with supply and demand, which their respective governments are controlling with newly introduced trade regulations. This has caused delays in the delivery of imported testing kits and protective gear and may impact on the delivery of vaccines once they have passed clinical trials.”
Most importantly, CapeBio’s product makes it possible to obtain test results in just 65 minutes.
CapeBio has benefited from collaboration it with the Department of Science and Innovation’s Covid-19 response team, where experts from universities and R&D centres around the country have been give a platform to share ideas and capabilities in the search for viable solutions.
Ndima has also been guided along his entrepreneurial journey by the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Fellowship Programme.