Rapid COVID tests about to land in Australia

New rapid COVID testing machines that promise a result in 20 seconds will soon arrive in Australia following their approval for use in the UK.

The new devices could take the wait out of the coronavirus screening process, but is subject to approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

The Virolens machine takes a saliva swab, then uses a holographic microscope to identify viral surface proteins.

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"It's a machine that's able to test for COVID-19 in 20 seconds," Gavin Milton-White from Virolens COVID Screening said.

"There's a screen on the front which tells whether you've got COVID or whether you don't."

Twenty-five of the machines will soon arrive in Australia after trials at London's Heathrow Airport, but approval from the TGA is not guaranteed.

Those importing the technology say it could be used for mass screening at airports and other crowded places.

"If you want to go see a big sporting event, you'll be able to have a test before you go in," Mr Milton-White said.

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Monash University also has a new portable COVID testing device in the testing phase.

Professor Patrick Kwan from the university says it can detect genetic evidence of the virus in 30 minutes and is almost as accurate as the current gold standard nasal swabs.

"It makes it much more mobile," Professor Kwan said.

"So instead of bringing the people to the test, we bring the test to the people."

The technology is still in the prototype stage but could be rapidly rolled out if the government or private sector agreed to support it.

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Rapid at-home swabbing has recently been rolled out in the UK.

People will be able to order test kits online or collect them from pharmacies.

But Australian authorities say there are pitfalls and warn of inaccurate results.