Novel mass spectrometry method detects SARS-CoV-2 in gargle samples

Researchers from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU; Halle, Germany) have successfully detected minute quantities of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic) in gargle solutions from affected patients using mass spectrometry. Although this novel method is currently under development, it may be able to supplement existing tests and be made available as a standard diagnostic tool in the future. Currently, the most widely used diagnostic test to identify a COVID-19 infection is polymerase chain reaction (PCR).  PCR is highly specific as it detects the viral genome. Alternative available tests detect antibodies against the diseases.  However, as antibodies are generated...