On Sunday, medical staff at Samson Assuta Ashdod University Hospital began to test the use of a new coronavirus testing kit which returns results to patients within 10 minutes.
On the outside the kit itself is reminiscent of a pregnancy test, including signs that indicate "positive" or "negative."
However, unlike a pregnancy test, this test pen is inserted into the nose, obtaining samples from inside of the nasal cavity.
The test, created by Biotech company CerTest, can be performed by any medic or nurse without the need for laboratory intervention.
During the trial, the tests are done alongside the normally used tests, for the purpose of monitoring their quality.
Dr. Erez Barenboim, general manager of the hospital, said that “Assuta is happy to take part in a product test that will surely help provide faster and higher quality treatment to coronavirus patients. The sooner we detect the virus, the better quality care we can provide to the patients and those around them."
Dr. Gabriel Bryk, director of the hospital's biochemical laboratory, said "this is a cutting-edge test that, if found reliable, can help the medical staff quickly identify potential patients. These days we are testing the reliability of the test according to professional standards."