Covid-19 Rapid Test - BLUE PAPER

In the light of the current global situation, a new inexpensive rapid test for Covid-19 has been conceptually developed and the details are outlined in this document. Given the lack of approved vaccines and anti-viral drugs, the importance of quick diagnoses cannot be understated. Research suggest that antigen material should be readily available in serological samples from the onset until the end of infection. Hence, a direct antigen rapid test, such as the one to be presented here, has the advantage of not being dependent on immune response and the availability of specific immunoglobulin antibodies. Diagnosis should therefore be possible from the first day of symptoms. This is very significant and means that acute diagnosis is theoretically possible.

A new, surface-antigen-adsorbed influenza virus vaccine. I. Studies on immunogenicity in hamsters

SUMMARYThe ability of a new, surface-antigen-adsorbed influenza virus vaccine to induce serum antibody in hamsters, and to protect these hamsters against subsequent homologous virus challenge, is reported. In addition, similar studies in hamsters have also been carried out using the surface antigen material prior to adsorption to the aluminium hydroxide carrier. The new, adsorbed vaccine is at least as effective as inactivated saline influenza virus vaccine in inducing serum antibody and protection in hamsters; the unadsorbed surface antigen material, however, did not confer protection to hamsters challenged subsequently with homologous virus.

URINARY EXCRETION OF FOREIGN ANTIGENS AND RNA FOLLOWING PRIMARY AND SECONDARY INJECTIONS OF ANTIGENS

Two soluble antigens, BSA and KLH labeled with sulfanilate-35S, when injected intravenously into normal animals, were excreted in the urine to over 70% in 24 hr. Over the next 6 days, 25% more was excreted after which time only a trace could be detected. Much of the antigen remaining from the primary injection appeared in the urine following a secondary injection of the unlabeled protein carrier at 7 days after primary injection. The antigen material found in the urine was quite heterogeneous with respect to physical properties and much of it was associated with RNA material as shown by chromatographic analyses. The main difference between the labeled material released following the primary and secondary injection was the higher degree of association of antigen material with nucleotide material after secondary injection as compared with primary injection. Further study is needed to distinguish qualitative from quantitative changes of the components, antigen and nucleic acid, and also the nature of their association. Possible similarities were found for the RNA-antigen material released from tissue after secondary injection of unlabeled antigen, and the material that was isolated previously from liver.

THE RETENTION OF S35-LABELLED BOVINE SERUM ALBUMIN IN NORMAL AND IMMUNIZED RABBIT LIVER TISSUE

The S35-label of S35-BSA was detected in the liver tissue of rabbits to the extent of 0.02 per cent (10 µg or ≃ 1014 molecules) of the injected material at 140 days after injection. The rate of loss of antigen at the termination of the experiment was of such an order that significant amounts would be expected to persist for at least several years. Data are reported which extend the retention data previously reported on S35-labelled hemocyanin. They indicate that amounts of the order of 0.05 per cent (25 µg.) of antigen material persist at 330 days after injection. All of the radioactivity of material retained in the liver tissue 6 weeks after injection was immunologically related to the original S35-BSA antigen. Preliminary studies are reported which indicate that the retained antigen is bound to ribonucleic acid. A new method is described for the isolation of p-azophenylsulfonate bovine serum albumin from tissue extracts by means of a Dowex 2 adsorbent.