As coronavirus continues to spread and claim more lives, the development of a quick, safe and effective diagnostic test for detecting the 2019-nCoV virus has become an urgent global priority. Not surprisingly, the most progress has been made in China, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia where the outbreak began and continues to pose the greatest threat. Here is a quick overview of some of the more promising initiatives that have emerged from the region. The Central Role of RT-PCR Test Technology Although much remains to be learned about 2019-nCoV, researchers have noted its similarity to coronaviruses found in bats, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus. Accordingly, test developers have based tests to detect and confirm the virus on rapid real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technology. The BGI Group Assay No diagnostic company has played a more direct and active role in 2019-nCoV response than Chinese genome sequencing company, the BGI Group. On Jan. 28, BGI and its MGI Tech subsidiary received emergency clearance from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for its real-time fluorescent RT-PCR kit for 2019-nCoV testing. In addition to scaling up production of the assay, BGI donated 230,000 kits and opened a medical […]