Imagine a blood test that could detect every illness that you’ve ever had. Specifically, imagine a blood test that could manage to detect every infection you’ve ever had. This is something that might seem like a dream when it comes to medical technology. However, it’s now a reality, according to a new study that was recently published. Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School found after extensive testing that the new blood test called VirScan, is one of the most effective blood tests that hasn’t made the market yet. Now though, there is certainly going to be a heavy push to get this blood test out into the open market.
The most appealing thing about the blood test is the fact that it’s so cheap. That’s something that researchers in the health space have been working on for years. Cost in the health care industry is something that has challenged the passing of viruses and diseases, as well as challenge doctors in keeping various illnesses contained. This new method of illness will work very well to improve the overall function of healthcare in the United states.
Ian Lipkin of Columbia University pointed out that, “The approach is clever and a technological tour de force.” He went on to point out that, “It has the potential to reveal viruses people have encountered recently or many years earlier … Thus, this is a powerful new research tool.” This is interesting because it really speaks to just how important this type of blood test could be in the medical field.
Stephen Elledge, who was one of the authors of this report added that, “VirScan is a little like looking back in time.” He went on to point out that, “We can take a tiny drop of blood and determine what viruses a person has been infected with over the course of many years.” He added that the long term benefit of this type of technology would be profound given that it would significantly impact the way doctors conduct business. It would save the customer and the professional time and money. He went on pointing out that, “What makes this so unique is the scale. Right now, a physician needs to guess what virus might be at play and individually test for it. With VirScan, we can look for virtually all viruses, even rare ones, with a single test.”
These are all changes that would impact the bottom line of healthcare profoundly. It would mean that people who otherwise couldn’t afford to be tested, would have the opportunity to be tested, while more quickly taking care of illnesses that are already born inside a body.
