<p>A team of US researchers have developed a simple, glucose-meter-based test that can be used to accurately monitor our own antibody levels to fight SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing Covid-19.</p>.<p>Over-the-counter Covid tests can quickly show whether a person is infected with SARS-CoV-2. But if you have a positive result, there's no equivalent at-home test to assess how long you're protected against reinfection, said researchers from Johns Hopkins University, MIT and Harvard University.</p>.<p>It is because vaccines against Covid infection can guard against future infections for a while, but it's unclear exactly how long that protection lasts.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/covid-infection-may-increase-risk-of-parkinsons-study-1119738.html" target="_blank">Covid infection may increase risk of Parkinson's: Study</a></strong></p>.<p>A good indication of immune protection is a person's level of antibodies, but the gold standard measurement -- the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) -- requires expensive equipment and specialised technicians.</p>.<p>The new readily available glucose meter, described in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, are easy to use and can be integrated with remote clinical services.</p>.<p>In the study the team wanted to see whether producing a fusion protein consisting of both invertase and a detection antibody would work in an assay that would allow SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels to be read with a glucose meter.</p>.<p>The researchers designed and produced a novel fusion protein containing both invertase and a mouse antibody that binds to human immunoglobulin (IgG) antibodies. They showed that the fusion protein bound to human IgGs and successfully produced glucose from sucrose.</p>.<p>Next, the team made test strips with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein on them. When dipped in Covid-19 patient samples, the patients' SARS-CoV-2 antibodies bound to the spike protein. Adding the invertase/IgG fusion protein, then sucrose, led to the production of glucose, which could be detected by a glucose meter. They validated the test by performing the analysis with glucose meters on a variety of patient samples, and found that the new assay worked as well as four different ELISAs.</p>.<p>The researchers said that the method can also be adapted to test for SARS-CoV-2 variants and other infectious diseases.</p>
<p>A team of US researchers have developed a simple, glucose-meter-based test that can be used to accurately monitor our own antibody levels to fight SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing Covid-19.</p>.<p>Over-the-counter Covid tests can quickly show whether a person is infected with SARS-CoV-2. But if you have a positive result, there's no equivalent at-home test to assess how long you're protected against reinfection, said researchers from Johns Hopkins University, MIT and Harvard University.</p>.<p>It is because vaccines against Covid infection can guard against future infections for a while, but it's unclear exactly how long that protection lasts.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/covid-infection-may-increase-risk-of-parkinsons-study-1119738.html" target="_blank">Covid infection may increase risk of Parkinson's: Study</a></strong></p>.<p>A good indication of immune protection is a person's level of antibodies, but the gold standard measurement -- the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) -- requires expensive equipment and specialised technicians.</p>.<p>The new readily available glucose meter, described in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, are easy to use and can be integrated with remote clinical services.</p>.<p>In the study the team wanted to see whether producing a fusion protein consisting of both invertase and a detection antibody would work in an assay that would allow SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels to be read with a glucose meter.</p>.<p>The researchers designed and produced a novel fusion protein containing both invertase and a mouse antibody that binds to human immunoglobulin (IgG) antibodies. They showed that the fusion protein bound to human IgGs and successfully produced glucose from sucrose.</p>.<p>Next, the team made test strips with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein on them. When dipped in Covid-19 patient samples, the patients' SARS-CoV-2 antibodies bound to the spike protein. Adding the invertase/IgG fusion protein, then sucrose, led to the production of glucose, which could be detected by a glucose meter. They validated the test by performing the analysis with glucose meters on a variety of patient samples, and found that the new assay worked as well as four different ELISAs.</p>.<p>The researchers said that the method can also be adapted to test for SARS-CoV-2 variants and other infectious diseases.</p>