03/27: Bosch announces rapid, lab-free test for COVID-19
I’m Nick and this is your daily COVID-19 update. All data from JHU CCSE. If you find this newsletter useful or uplifting, forward it to a friend.
Europe
274,274 confirmed cases ( + 33,882 from yesterday)
29,358 recovered
16,308 deceased
Top affected countries
A closer look at mortality rates
With COVID-19 now firmly in place in Europe and quickly on the rise in the United States (with the state of New York being particularly hard hit at this time), we should have a closer look at mortality rates.
Comparing COVID-19 data between countries remains, for the time being, fraught with difficulties. Differences in the availability of testing equipment, differences in testing protocols, as well as in the thoroughness and speed with which data is gathered and made available, means that it is almost impossible to not compare apples to oranges. This is one of the reasons why I haven’t delved deeply into the comparisons game, other than to try and predict the likelihood of “lockdown” measures in the early phases of the outbreak. But as the hospitals are becoming overwhelmed in several European countries and the USA is preparing for the worst, the question of mortality rates has emerged to the forefront in many discussions, and cannot reasonably be ignored.
It should be noted, however, that data on mortality is not only plagued by the measurement problems mentioned earlier, but that it also suffers from the additional difficulty that post-mortem evaluations and protocols for determining cause-of-death vary wildly, even between EU member states. Not to mention the potential influence of political considerations in the decision of whether or not to honestly disclose data (many have questioned the validity of the data coming out of China, for example). That being said, I think that comparing the relative growth rates of mortality between countries is useful, even if any such comparison should be taken with a grain of salt.
Fortunately, the Financial Times provides an excellent comparison on their free-to-read coronavirus page:
The takeaway message that the number of coronavirus deaths seems to be increasing more rapidly in the west than it did in China is certainly concerning. There are many possible explanations for this observation, not the least of which are in my opinion related to the issues around data quality discussed earlier.
Unfortunately it seems very unlikely that we will get any truly solid insights into the differences in mortality rates between countries, let alone their underlying explanations, before the first wave of COVID-19 has run through the world. Only at that time, I fear, will we be able gather and analyse data in a more collected and transparent manner.
Each day I will share something that gives me hope. Something that inspires me in these challenging times. Sometimes that will be good news on COVID-19 (there is, and will be, good news!), resources to keep us busy during quarantine, or simply something I think might bring a spark of light to your day.
This is my way of saying: “Sure, the world’s on fire - but look, there’s also this”.
Bosch develops rapid, 95% accurate COVID-19 test that doesn’t require a lab
Fast and accurate testing is one of the things that is most needed in controlling the COVID-19 crisis, since it is key in identifying, isolating and treating patients.
From the official press release (which can be read here)
Bosch CEO Dr. Volkmar Denner: “Bosch’s rapid COVID-19 test will help contain the spread of the pandemic and break the chain of transmission more quickly.”
Bosch is helping medical facilities such as doctors’ offices, hospitals, laboratories, and health centers with its new COVID-19 rapid test.
The rapid test can diagnose ten respiratory pathogens simultaneously for differential diagnosis and meets the requirements of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Bosch Healthcare Solutions, together with Randox Laboratories Ltd., has developed one of the world’s first fully automated molecular diagnostic tests.
CRISPR treatment to cure genetic blindness
As it turns out, science hasn’t grinded to a halt because of COVID-19!
Scientists have tried to use CRISPR, a relatively novel gene editing technique, in an attempt to cure a genetic disease called Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) which causes blindness. The intervention basically aims to cut the mutation that causes LCA out of the patients DNA.
Here’s a description of the intervention (taken from the NPR interview) :
First, the surgeon cuts a tiny hole into the patient's eye.
SOFIA: I don't like it.
STEIN: I know. I know. Then the surgeon dripped three little drops of liquid under the retina. Those drops contained billions of viruses that were genetically engineered to carry the genetic coding for making the CRISPR tool right inside the eye.
SOFIA: OK. So it's in there, and the modified viruses actually infect the cells in the retina, right?
STEIN: Right. Exactly. And the genetic coding the virus is ferrying to the cells, it carries instructions for manufacturing the individual parts of the CRISPR inside the cells.
SOFIA: OK. Then what?
STEIN: So once the CRISPR machinery is inside the eye, the idea is that it becomes the surgeon - kind of like a tiny, little, microscopic surgeon inside the retina that's going to perform microscopic DNA surgery on the cells.
SOFIA: Right. CRISPR literally - this is so cool - slices out the genetic mutation that is causing the blindness, and voila.
That’s it for today! Wash your hands and, please, be kind 🥰
Nick (from Sunny Singapore)