FeverPhone: Point of Care Diagnosis of Acute Febrile Illness using a Mobile Device

Project SummaryIn this work, we will develop "RAPID COVIDX", a rapid screening technology for COVID-19 based onsimultaneous detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigen (Ag) and antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 virus (IgG/IgM) in humanblood and/or nasal/throat swab specimens within 15 minutes at the point of care (POC). This will leverage theNIH-funded FeverPhone platform, which we have already shown capable of rapidly quantifying both antigensand antibodies at the POC for several infections, including malaria (pLDH and HRP2) and dengue/chikungunyavirus infection (IgG/IgM). The 'RAPID COVIDx' technology builds on our team's extensive background in thedevelopment of smartphone-based diagnostics, infectious disease, and global health. The technical effort of thisprogram comprises of the development of in vitro immunochromatographic one-step assay to simultaneouslydetect SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG/IgM antibodies and antigens, a low-cost portable test strip reader for imagingthe test strips, and a mobile app to provide step-by-step instructions to the user. By the end of this project, wewill have developed a "sample-in, answer-out" working prototype that will be ready for further validation witharchived serum samples and for testing deployment readiness in POC settings. Serological tests such as theone proposed are going to be increasingly needed with the spread of the pandemic to both identify those withinfection but also those with past exposure. Further, this will be critical to determine those who can return to workand those who are vulnerable and direct limited resources. Key assets of our platform include minimal needs forinfrastructure, training, and sample volume. Additionally, the same platform works for multiple diseases/infectionsand can be commercialized at very low price points for both the reader and test strips. Last but not least, the PIsalso have started a company commercializing similar technology for nutritional tests; there is capacity investedby the New York State and the Department of Defense at this startup to scale up manufacturing of these testsand are also familiar with the licensing process to engage other partners for rapid commercialization.