Costa Rican scientists are aggressively developing a rapid molecular saliva-based test for COVID-19 that will yield results in only one hour, and will cost $15-20. No elaborate equipment will be required to amplify the generic material, making the test much simpler to process. The first prototype has been created and scientists are calling the RT-LAMP test “tiCOVID-19”, after the affectionate name for Costa Ricans — Ticos.

Experts from three well-respected Costa Rican universities have pooled resources and talents to create the first test prototype: University of Costa Rica (UCR), Technological of Costa Rica (TEC), and Nacional University of Costa Rica (UNA). This new test will give Costa Rica a beneficial degree of autonomy among Central American nations, and will allow crucial mass contact tracing. Perhaps most importantly, the tiCOVID-19 test reduces the risk of infection among healthcare workers because samples are self-collected and need no special arrangements for transportation.

Alejandro Bolivar from UCR’s Pharmacy School describes the process for collection of samples, “The saliva sample is collected in a vial and heated to 95 degrees Celsius (203 degrees Fahrenheit) to amplify the possible traces of the virus. This allows the test result to be obtained without the need for molecular biology labs or other specialized equipment.” The saliva sample changes color, turning yellow if there is virus present, or red if the test is negative.

The tiCOVID-19 test has yet to undergo a human trial phase to measure its effectiveness. Scientists are awaiting the required permits from the country’s Committee on Scientific Ethics. Saliva tests are already being used in other countries, some of which have been approved for use by the United States Food and Drug Administration, the gold standard for these kinds of tests. Costa Rica fully understands the urgency of getting these tests out to its citizens as quickly as possible.

UCR biology professor Andres Gatica said in an interview with the Latin American Harald Tribune, “With the in vitro tests we’ve performed, we have a 94 percent specificity (the proportion of negatives that are correctly identified) and 100 percent sensitivity (the proportion of positives that are correctly identified), figures that are quite positive, very comparable to real-time PCR tests, and far superior to the antigen test that detects proteins and antibodies if a person became ill and developed defenses.”

Since the start of the pandemic in March of last year, Costa Rica with a population of five million people has registered 191,345 confirmed cases, and 2,567 confirmed deaths blamed on COVID-19. That represents a case fatality rate of 1.3 percent, better than many other Central American countries, but not as hopeful as when the new tiCOVID-19 test will eventually be rolled out for everyone wanting one.

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