Mass Spectrometry Covid-19 Test

Mass spectrometry (MS) is an analytical technique that measures the mass-to-charge ratio of ions.
Researchers from the New Delhi-based Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) have developed a new method of coronavirus disease (Covid-19), that uses mass spectrometry.
Mass spectrometry can detect the presence and quantity of various organic and inorganic compounds by detecting the ions released by them.
The technique uses mass spectrometry to detect two peptides (building blocks of the viral protein).
This is the only method that directly observes the RNA as compared to RT-PCR where the proteins have to bind with a primer before we can detect it.
This eliminates the possibility of a false negative if the quality of the RNA collected it not good and it does not bind or there is lysis (detergent) that prevents the RNA from binding.
This testing is faster, cheaper, than and almost as accurate as the Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test.
The method eliminates the need for a biosafety lab, which makes it possible for it to be used at airports and railway stations to test passengers before they board a plane or a train.