University of Technology Sydney researchers say they have developed a sensitive saliva test which can pick up SARS-CoV-2 viral fragments in less than 15 minutes.

The test prototype is set to be manufactured in Perth and will cost less than $25 per test. Laboratory trials on live virus are expected to begin before the end of the year.

The university’s Dr Dayong Jin said in a statement on Monday that the test was sensitive enough to detect the presence of as little as a trillionth of a gram of SARS-CoV-2 viral fragments.

“A person with COVID-19 may be contagious 72 hours before starting to show symptoms. With the sensitivity of our optical technology, we aim to identify the viral protein in saliva from asymptomatic but already infectious patients,” Dr Jin said in a statement.