Stanford launches its own coronavirus test

This handout illustration image obtained Feb. 27, 2020, courtesy of the National Institutes of Health taken with a transmission electron microscope shows SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, isolated from a patient in the United States. Virus particles are shown emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab — the spikes on the outer edge of the virus particles give coronaviruses their name — crown-like. Stanford Medicine reported Thursday that it had developed a test for SARS-CoV-2. less This handout illustration image obtained Feb. 27, 2020, courtesy of the National Institutes of Health taken with a transmission electron microscope shows SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, isolated ... more Photo: Handout, National Institutes Of Health/AFP Via Getty Images Photo: Handout, National Institutes Of Health/AFP Via Getty Images Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close Stanford launches its own coronavirus test 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

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Stanford University researchers have developed and deployed their own in-house diagnostic test for the novel coronavirus.

Stanford Medicine reported Thursday that the test was being used for patients at Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children's Health who are suspected of being infected with the respiratory virus that causes COVID-19.

Until this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was the only organization testing for the virus. On Tuesday, 54 local and state labs were able to conduct tests, according to the Association of Public Health Labs. And last week, the Food and Drug Administration opened the door for academic and commercial labs to run their own tests.

Testing is important in order to catch infections quickly and isolate the sick before they can spread the virus to others, especially healthcare workers, the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions. Because people can be infected with COVID-19 for up to 14 days without exhibiting any symptoms, they can easily and unwittingly pass the virus to those they come in contact with.

The Stanford test, designed by the lab of Dr. Benjamin Pinsky, medical director of the university’s Clinical Virology Laboratory, uses a technique called a reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction to detect the presence of viral RNA in swabs taken from the noses of potentially infected people. Coronaviruses carry their genetic material in single strands of RNA (ribonucleic acid), rather than DNA.

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The test screens for a viral RNA gene encoding a protein known as an envelope protein, which creates a shell around the virus. A second screen confirms the positive result by testing for another protein.

The Stanford test is expected to deliver results in 12 to 24 hours. That compares to a turnaround of up to 72 hours for the CDC's test.

The University of California, San Francisco, is reportedly close to deploying its own coronavirus test, which it developed using the CRISPR DNA-editing tool.

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Mike Moffitt is an SFGATE Digital Reporter. Email: moffitt@sfgate.com. Twitter: @Mike_at_SFGate