MDS Mexico launches blockchain-based rapid covid-19 testing service

Known as the technology behind popular crypto such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), blockchain is now being utilized in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. A Mexican medical firm is launching rapid covid-19 testing that uses blockchain to speed up the results verification process.

MDS Mexico, a medical services firm based in Mexico City, has recently launched a blockchain-based rapid covid-19 testing service, Cointelegraph reported. With the new service in place, patients can access test results, which are updated in real-time, via its digital platform.

Aside from online access, medical results will also be physically delivered to the patient’s address. The document contains a QR code, which can be scanned to verify the results against MDS Mexico’s blockchain and access a patient’s vaccination history if necessary.

The use of blockchain ensures that patient's personal data and clinical are kept securely. The system will also prevent the falsification of Covid-19 test results as they can be directly verified online.

“To avoid the falsification of negative results, we began to certify the SARS-CoV-2 detection tests with blockchain technology and cryptographic signature, which protects the information in a unique, immutable, and unalterable QR Code that can be verified worldwide,” MDS stated on its website.

The system also incorporates the cryptographic signature of the doctor who verified the test result. The digital signature is uploaded to the blockchain along with the result ensuring its authenticity.

Aside from MDS, a small but growing number of firms have embraced the use of blockchain technology in their services. For instance, private blockchain tech firm Xertify entered into a partnership with Mexico’s National Chamber of Commerce (CANACO) in April 2021 for a planned rollout of a state-backed initiative to digitize vaccination passports.

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