there will be some characteristic proteins that can be quickly tested for by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry or ELISA test, once these are identified then then data can be easily spread world wide electronically and tested using common equipment that every test centre will already have in place, since this equipment is used in everyday life sciences.
More accurate/specific tests will be developed with time, but quick/rough and ready tests will fill in the gap in the meantime.
A vaccine is a very different ball game all together. They have to isolate and purify the virus, cultivate more of it, dumb it down to vaccine level, then manufacture enough of it to test it in vivo, pass all of the regulatory paper work and approvals, have it independently verified, then mass produce it.
To draw a mining analogy, just because you have an ore reserve doesn't mean you can start producing metal tomorrow.
re masks, I kind of figure they are just like dingers...can't guarantee 100% protection but it helps.
