Chinese scientists say they have developed a new coronavirus test that is as accurate as a PCR lab test but gives results within four minutes, AFP reports.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are widely considered the most accurate and sensitive for the virus that causes Covid-19, but they usually take several hours. Researchers from Fudan University in Shanghai say they have a solution.

In a peer-reviewed article published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, the team said their sensor — which uses microelectronics to analyse genetic material from swabs — can reduce the need for time consuming Covid lab tests.