Chinese scientists say they have developed a new coronavirus test that is accurate as a PCR lab test but gives results within four minutes.

Polymerase chain reaction tests are widely considered the most accurate and sensitive for the virus that causes Covid-19, but they usually take several hours.

Some countries have experienced severe backlogs in the face of heavy testing demand, fuelled by the explosive spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

Researchers from Fudan University in Shanghai say they have a solution.

In a peer-reviewed article published Monday in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, the team said their sensor -- which uses microelectronics to analyse genetic material from swabs -- can reduce the need for time-consuming Covid lab tests.