Daniel Ndima and Dineo Lioma
The two techpreneurs created a trailblazing COVID-19 test kit that provides results in just 65 minutes.
The invention is said to prove critical in South Africa’s fight against the fatal contagion. The country has so far recorded 3,635 confirmed cases of the virus with 65 deaths and 1,055 recoveries.
Named qCPR, the testing kits are already being hailed as a massive breakthrough in South Africa’s campaign against the disease. South Africa is Africa’s number one nation in testing. The qCPR test kits help pathologists isolate and identify a virus DNA or genetic material from an infected person.
“The ability to obtain rapid test results allows us to gain a clearer picture of viral infections so that we are able to introduce interventions with greater effectiveness. This will remain important even after lockdown, as South Africa has a population of over 55 million people who will need to be monitored on an ongoing basis,” Ndima, a scientist with a special interest in structural biology, told the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation.
