Leading European biotech company, GeneMe, has developed Frankd, a ‘fast, scalable and reliable mouth swab test’ for Covid-19 that can be used on travel retail premises, such as airports.

 

Frankd patented technology streamlines the testing process to make it faster (30-minutes or less), simpler and much more cost-effective than standard laboratory-based RT-PCR tests, claims GeneMe UK.

 

According to the biotech company, in independent laboratory tests Frankd has been shown to be ‘100% specific to Covid-19 and 97% sensitive’.

 

Andrew Wheeler CEO of GeneMe UK said: “Mass testing of travellers and staff is the only way to restart the travel industry safely and quickly. We have the technology and scale to help the travel industry get back to doing what they do best.”

 

ELIMINATING THE NEED TO SOCIAL DISTANCE

Frankd can be used as a screening test to create Covid-19 free zones within travel-hubs, to eliminate the need for social distancing once passengers enter the airport or ferry terminal.

 

Testing all departing and arriving passengers and crew will also mean that quarantine rules can be relaxed for all people that test negative, and much more targeted assistance can be provided to the very few that are infected. This will allow the travel industry to restart while protecting travellers, holidaymakers and staff alike.

 

The best solution to manage results for the Frankd test is to link the result to a digital identity app. By default, the Frankd result is linked to the free Yoti digital ID app, though other identity apps can be used.

 

People who download the Yoti ID app can link themselves to their test result and, with consent, the digital test result is automatically added to the tested person’s Yoti app. Individuals can present or share their tamperproof, verified details and test result in seconds to allow access to transit hubs, or on arrival at customs.

 

TALKS WITH GOVERNMENTS, AIRPORTS AND AIRLINES

Katalyst, a distributor of Frankd is currently in talks with governments, airports, airlines, resorts and hotel groups across Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean to roll out millions of tests over the coming months, enabling those businesses and destinations to restart their business at scale.

 

Frankd tests for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. A nasal or throat swab is used to sample any viral material from patients for the Frankd test in the same way as standard RT-PCR testing.

 

“However, the Frankd testing process is much simpler than RT-PCR testing as no RNA purification is required,” said Katalyst. “This means the viral material from the swab can be directly tested, saving both time and cost. It also means Frankd does not need much of the technical laboratory equipment of the RT-PCR tests, so businesses can test on-site using a portable testing machine.”

 

Unlike other viral testing solutions, Frankd is suitable for mass testing; 72 people can be tested at a time, every 30 minutes with one device, massively reducing the cost of testing. Testing on-premises by trained staff removes delays and the challenge of getting test samples to lab technicians to process.

 

Andrew Wheeler GeneMe UK CEO added: “Screening tests are the only way to restart the travel industry. Until now this has been impractical and too costly. Frankd is a game changer. We’re delighted Frankd has chosen Katalyst to help bring large-scale Covid-19 testing to restart the travel industry.”