Creating an Open and Safe Campus

In the current state, before the vast majority of the population is vaccinated, , the most efficient solution for handling the Coronavirus epidemic lies in rapid and frequent testing. Rapid testing is important to safeguard the health of campus visitors and assist in the quick return to normal routines. Around the world, universities have adopted processes for testing and diagnosing COVID-19 in order to restore a healthy and safe campus.

Campus routine is an important part of life at Technion. Students, staff and faculty are eager to return to the campus, to the academic routine and to the live meetings in classrooms, laboratories, dormitories and learning spaces. To support a gradual return and to maintain health, the Technion is opening a rapid testing station at the Student Union (Beit HaStudent). The tests are based on a technology developed in the laboratory of Prof. Naama Geva-Zatorsky of the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, in collaboration with researchers at the Rambam Hospital.

The test is non-invasive, analyzing saliva and delivers results in just a few hours. It is available at no cost and is performed as part of a study approved by the Technion’s Helsinki Committee.

About the Technology

The technology was originally  developed by Prof. Naama Geva-Zatorsky and is being commercialised by the Technion for further development by Rapid Diagnostic Systems ltd., which is developing the platform under the name Naor. The initial product, “NaorCov19”, is a non-invasive, saliva- based rapid molecular diagnostic test (www.naordia.com).  In recent months, the company had been collaborating with multiple institutions including the R&D arm of the Israeli Ministry of Defence, MAFAT.

The technology is modular, permitting anything from individual testing (a home-testing kit) to large-scale tests at testing stations or laboratories. The self-collection sampling takes less than a minute, and the sample processing procedure takes less than an hour, whereas the same workstation may run dozens of samples simultaneously. Thanks to its simplicity, the testing kit is suitable for rapid testing at workplaces, airports, schools, etc. The test has 90% accuracy in the infectious stages, when the viral load is medium to high.

The new and innovative test is based on principles similar to those used in laboratory PCR systems, but requires the use of only a single temperature heating, significantly simplifying the processing procedure while using an easily available equipment. The results are obtained in a manner that does not require complex decoding, namely if the colour of the liquid changes, the test is positive for Coronavirus. Therefore, it reduces the cost of equipment and transportation, as well as the need for manpower and laboratories to perform tests and decipher them.  The platform also allows for the saliva collection stations to be fully self-service, with the utilization of SMS. Once the results are processed, the individual being tested is notified on his phone.

The developers hope that soon the kit will shortly enter a mass production phase, which will enable frequent testing for all the population, permitting a safe return to normal life, alongside the Coronavirus.

When and where

A sample collection station  is located at the 1^st floor of the student union (Beit HaStudent) in the Neve Sha’anan Technion campus. The station will be open  Sunday through Thursday, 10:30-12:30. To be tested, you need to sign up in advance  at this LINK , fill out the informed consent form and decide whether you wish to authorize the sharing of results with the Technion.

Note that an electronic signature is required only on first entry to the test sign-up website. For future access, you will be asked to enter the sample number on your phone, and provide a security code that will be texted to your phone.

Confidentiality

Test results are confidential and will be delivered to you using a secured link once you’ve authorized the Technion system access to the results. Upon your approval, test results could be forwarded to the Technion’s head of Coronavirus security for further treatment, to ensure the safety of dormitory residents and campus visitors. The anonymous data will also serve for further research by Technion researchers of the Coronavirus.

We are proud that a test developed in the Technion will assist in breaking the chain of infection and in maintaining the health of campus visitors, and wish you all good health.