Iowa State University researchers working on at-home COVID-19 test

AMES, Iowa (WOI) - Researchers at Iowa State University say they’re working on an at-home COVID-19 test, which could provide results in 20 minutes.

It’s similar to a pregnancy test and uses urine to test for COVID-19. Reports show the virus affects the kidneys. That means there are proteins of COVID-19 in urine, making it possible to test.

This is something doctors saw in the SARS epidemic. The team at Iowa State says it is moving as fast as it can to get the test by the fall.

Robbyn Anand, an Assistant Professor at ISU said, “So the main difference between this and a pregnancy test is the amount of voltage that’s required so the test may be something that will have to be plugged in or connected to a larger battery like a 9 Volt battery for example.”

The project was made possible through a $55,000 grant from the Research Corporation for Science Advancement’s COVID-19 Initiative.

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