An adhesive bandage featuring gold nanoparticles developed by researchers from New York University (NYU) Abu Dhabi can reportedly detect COVID-19 antibodies in the bloodstream of the wearer.

Applied to a wearer’s pin-pricked fingertip like a regular bandage, the new rapid testing method for COVID-19 is designed specifically to detect the immune antibodies IgM and IgG — which are naturally produced in response to the SARS CoV-2 infection — in the bloodstream.

Source: NYU Abu Dhabi

To accomplish this, the team used nanotechnology-based engineered gold nanoparticles that contain antigens unique to SARS-CoV-2.

According to the developers, the antigens are engineered via nanotechnology to recognize and bind to IgM and IgG antibodies. A color change will reportedly occur when this happens, thereby indicating an individual's infection status within mere minutes.

Developers of the new test suggest that the real-time screening of viral infections using this method could potentially play a role in preventing future outbreaks and pandemics via early detection.

The adhesive is detailed in the article, "Spike- and nucleocapsid-based gold colloid assay toward the development of an adhesive bandage for rapid SARS-CoV-2 immune response detection and screening,” which appears in the journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering.