Scientists find new way to track spread of coronavirus strains

An international team of scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, together with Biobot Analytics staff and researchers from Singapore, have presented an innovative way to control the spread of coronavirus, Report informs.

The work was published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters.

The new approach is based on PCR with allele-specific primers - a simple and effective method for detecting mutations in genomic DNA developed more than 30 years ago.

The researchers tested this method on wastewater samples from 19 localities in the US. They were able to accurately quantify low levels of the British strain with low cross-reactivity and in proportions up to one percent against the background of mixed SARS-CoV-2 variants.

According to scientists, their development can be helpful for health authorities to take timely measures to combat the pandemic.