Israel will soon send a high level research delegation to India to conduct a series of final stages of testing as part of the joint effort to develop the rapid testing kits for COVID-19.

A high ranking team from the Directorate of Defence Research and Development (DDR&D) in the Israel ministry of defence, which has been working with India’s DRDO to develop rapid testing for COVID-19 in under 30 seconds, will reach New Delhi on a special flight in a few days.

Israel’s ministry of foreign affairs (MFA) and ministry of health are also involved in this project.

PM Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu have held three telephonic conversations since the outbreak of the pandemic and promised mutual assistance in dealing with the virus, committing to joint technological and scientific research between the countries.

How will the experiments be conducted?

Both countries aim at merging Israeli technology with Indian development and production capabilities to allow a swift resumption of normal life alongside the virus.

The researchers will collect tens of thousands of samples in ten days, and analyse them using computer systems based on artificial intelligence. This massive sampling will shorten processes and advance the approval of effective technology. All tests will be validated using PCR tests.

The four tech systems that will be tested are:

* Voice test: Based on Artificial Intelligence.

* Breathalyzer test: Detection based on terra-hertz waves.

* Isothermal test: Biochemical testing method that enables the detection of the virus in a saliva sample.

* Polyamino acids test: Biochemical method that enables the detection of novel coronavirus proteins collected in a saliva sample. 

What they all have in common is the ability to detect the presence of the virus in the body quickly — usually within minutes.

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