Scientists from Imperial College London have come up with a USB stick that can detect HIV.
The device uses a drop of blood to detect the presence of HIV, and creates a signal that can be read by your electronic device. It also allows for the patient to personally monitor their treatment.
According to Kate Wighton, Communications Officer of Imperial College London, the USB can measure how much HIV is in the system. This new advancement is incredibly helpful to patients. In her report on the university website, she says:
“Furthermore, regularly monitoring of viral levels enables healthcare teams to check a patient is taking their medication. Stopping medication fuels HIV drug-resistance, which is an emerging global problem.
Viral levels cannot be detected by routine HIV tests which use antibodies, as these can only tell whether a person has been infected.”
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