Rapid Blood Test Could Confirm COVID-19 Vaccination in Minutes
|
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 07 Jun 2021 |
|
Image: An image taken from a YouTube video shows results of a rapid blood test developed by Johns Hopkins researchers that can confirm in minutes if a person has been vaccinated for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 (Photo courtesy of Robert Kruse)
Researchers have developed a rapid blood test that can confirm in minutes if a person has been vaccinated for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
The rapid blood test developed by scientists at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU; Baltimore, MD, USA) could confirm a person has been vaccinated while they wait to board a plane or enter a sporting event. Their COVID-19 antibody test is similar to one used at home to determine blood type, where the user pricks a finger and places a drop of blood on a card. A fusion protein developed by the research team is housed on the card and detects COVID-19 antibodies, tiny proteins in the blood the immune system produces to “remember” viral encounters and provide immunity to future infections. Results come back in less than five minutes, faster than current lateral flow tests to detect antibodies at point of care, while also potentially providing a clearer result. Immunocompromised patients, who studies have shown don’t always respond to the COVID-19 vaccine, could test their antibody level and see if the vaccine is working for them, according to the researchers.
The test uses hemagglutination, in which the degree of clumping together of red blood cells reveals the concentration of antibodies. The hemagglutination results could let people know if they still have protection months after they received the vaccine or if they need a booster shot. The degree of hemagglutination also correlated with levels of neutralizing antibodies in patients, which protect against viral infection. In a study on 400 blood samples, half of which were from prior COVID-19 patients, the test correctly identified antibodies in previously infected patients 87.5% of the time, a slightly higher rate than ELISA tests performed in hospitals that require hours to perform. The test could be used to confirm a person’s vaccination instead of having to show a vaccine card, according to Robert Kruse, M.D., Ph.D., who created the blood test.
“If a business is using the honor system for vaccinations, now they could test people on-site,” said Kruse.
Related Links:
Johns Hopkins University
The rapid blood test developed by scientists at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU; Baltimore, MD, USA) could confirm a person has been vaccinated while they wait to board a plane or enter a sporting event. Their COVID-19 antibody test is similar to one used at home to determine blood type, where the user pricks a finger and places a drop of blood on a card. A fusion protein developed by the research team is housed on the card and detects COVID-19 antibodies, tiny proteins in the blood the immune system produces to “remember” viral encounters and provide immunity to future infections. Results come back in less than five minutes, faster than current lateral flow tests to detect antibodies at point of care, while also potentially providing a clearer result. Immunocompromised patients, who studies have shown don’t always respond to the COVID-19 vaccine, could test their antibody level and see if the vaccine is working for them, according to the researchers.
The test uses hemagglutination, in which the degree of clumping together of red blood cells reveals the concentration of antibodies. The hemagglutination results could let people know if they still have protection months after they received the vaccine or if they need a booster shot. The degree of hemagglutination also correlated with levels of neutralizing antibodies in patients, which protect against viral infection. In a study on 400 blood samples, half of which were from prior COVID-19 patients, the test correctly identified antibodies in previously infected patients 87.5% of the time, a slightly higher rate than ELISA tests performed in hospitals that require hours to perform. The test could be used to confirm a person’s vaccination instead of having to show a vaccine card, according to Robert Kruse, M.D., Ph.D., who created the blood test.
“If a business is using the honor system for vaccinations, now they could test people on-site,” said Kruse.
Related Links:
Johns Hopkins University
Gold Member
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Sample-To-Answer Test
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Cartridge (CE-IVD)
New
HPV Molecular Test
BD Onclarity HPV Assay
New
Automatic CLIA Analyzer
Shine i6000
Latest COVID-19 News
- New Immunosensor Paves Way to Rapid POC Testing for COVID-19 and Emerging Infectious Diseases
- Long COVID Etiologies Found in Acute Infection Blood Samples
- Novel Device Detects COVID-19 Antibodies in Five Minutes
- CRISPR-Powered COVID-19 Test Detects SARS-CoV-2 in 30 Minutes Using Gene Scissors
- Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis Linked to COVID-19
- Novel SARS CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test Validated for Diagnostic Accuracy
- New COVID + Flu + R.S.V. Test to Help Prepare for `Tripledemic`
- AI Takes Guesswork Out Of Lateral Flow Testing
- Fastest Ever SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Test Designed for Non-Invasive COVID-19 Testing in Any Setting
- Rapid Antigen Tests Detect Omicron, Delta SARS-CoV-2 Variants
- Health Care Professionals Showed Increased Interest in POC Technologies During Pandemic, Finds Study
- Set Up Reserve Lab Capacity Now for Faster Response to Next Pandemic, Say Researchers
- Blood Test Performed During Initial Infection Predicts Long COVID Risk
- Low-Cost COVID-19 Testing Platform Combines Sensitivity of PCR and Speed of Antigen Tests
- Finger-Prick Blood Test Identifies Immunity to COVID-19
- Quick Test Kit Determines Immunity Against COVID-19 and Its Variants
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
Blood Metabolite Test Detects Early Cognitive Decline
Timely identification of individuals at risk of dementia remains difficult because symptoms commonly appear only after significant neurodegeneration. Accessible screening tools that flag subtle cognitive... Read more
AI-Based Blood Test Diagnose Multiple Brain Disorders from Blood Sample
Diagnosing the cause of age-related cognitive symptoms remains challenging because clinical presentations of neurodegenerative diseases often overlap, and multiple pathologies can co-occur... Read more
Molecular Diagnostics
view channel
cfDNA Methylation Assay Enables Multi-Disease Detection from Single Blood Sample
Early, accurate detection of cancer and organ disease remains limited by cost, reliance on targeted mutation assays, and uncertainty about the signal’s tissue of origin. Many liquid biopsy approaches require... Read more
Rapid Point-of-Care RT-PCR Test Differentiates Influenza A/B and SARS-CoV-2 in Minutes
Respiratory viruses such as influenza A/B and SARS‑CoV‑2 continue to burden urgent care and emergency settings, where rapid, reliable differentiation guides therapy and infection control.... Read more
Hematology
view channel
AI-Powered Digital Workflow Standardizes Bone Marrow Aspirate Morphology
Bone marrow aspirate examination is central to diagnosing and monitoring blood cancers and other serious hematologic diseases, yet the process in many laboratories remains manual and highly dependent on... Read more
Rapid Cartridge-Based Test Aims to Expand Access to Hemoglobin Disorder Diagnosis
Sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia are hemoglobin disorders that often require referral to specialized laboratories for definitive diagnosis, delaying results for patients and clinicians.... Read more
Immunology
view channel
Antibody Blood Test Identifies Active TB and Distinguishes Latent Infection
Active tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of death and illness worldwide, yet distinguishing contagious disease from latent infection continues to challenge clinicians. Standard screening tools... Read more
FDA Approval Expands Use of PD-L1 Companion Diagnostic in Esophageal and GEJ Carcinomas
Esophageal and gastroesophageal junction carcinomas (GEJ) have a poor prognosis, with approximately 16,250 deaths in the United States in 2025 and a five-year relative survival of 21.9%.... Read more
Study Identifies Inflammatory Pathway Driving Immunotherapy Resistance in Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer remains a prevalent malignancy with variable responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Clinicians often observe elevated C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 in affected patients, yet the... Read more
Microbiology
view channel
New Bacterial Target Identified for Early Detection of Noma
Noma is a rapidly progressing orofacial infection that begins as gingivitis and can destroy oral and facial tissues, primarily affecting young children living in extreme poverty. Without treatment, it... Read more
Genomic Analysis Links Emerging Streptococcal Strains to Specific Infections
Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis (SDSE) infections are increasing worldwide and include variants that may lead to severe disease. Researchers now report that whole-genome sequencing of... Read more
Pathology
view channel_image.png "Image: Through neoadjuvant therapy combining chemotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) for 46 LAGC patients and single-cell transcriptome sequencing, researchers found that tumor cells in the treatment-sensitive group specifically upregulated MHC-II (tumor-specific major histocompatibility complex class II, tsMHC-II) molecules (photo courtesy of Science China Press)")
Tumor-Specific Biomarker Predicts Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy Response in Gastric Cancer
Gastric cancer is the fifth most common malignancy and the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide, with China bearing nearly half of the global burden. Only a subset of patients benefit from... Read more
AI Tool Predicts Patient-Specific Chemotherapy Benefit in Breast Cancer
Selecting adjuvant chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer is typically guided by recurrence risk and population-level averages rather than patient-specific benefit. However, existing clinicopathologic... Read more
Technology
view channel
New AI Tool Enables Rapid Treatment Selection in Pediatric Leukemia
Children with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia face an aggressive disease that remains difficult to treat. Although remission rates have improved, many survivors experience long-term effects from intensive... Read more
Breakthrough Mass Spectrometry Design Could Enable Ultra-Low Abundance Detection
Mass spectrometry is central to identifying and quantifying molecules in complex biological samples, but conventional instruments typically analyze ions sequentially, which can limit detection of rare species.... Read more
Industry
view channel
Global Partnership Aims to Streamline NGS Tumor Profiling in Oncology Trials
CellCarta and Pillar Biosciences announced a global, multi-year strategic partnership on April 2, 2026 to broaden access to operationally streamlined next-generation sequencing (NGS) tumor profiling for... Read more
