You'll need to run RT-qPCR (Reverse Transcriptase Quantitative PCR) to detect Covid-19 viral sequences.
Simple thermocyclers allow us to amplify sequences but it can't do measurement like a Quantitative PCR machine.
Simple thermocyclers allow us to amplify sequences but it can't do measurement like a Quantitative PCR machine.
process is:
-take sample -amplify via thermocycler -validate presence
That last step can be done a few different ways depending on what you are looking for and how much time/money you have. (I'm just a hobbyist so not getting into specifics to avoid misspeaking but I'm confident it's possible via open tech for the 'crude' methods -- more advanced are more proprietary i'm sure.)