Abbott's Coronavirus test is similar to a pregnancy test
FDA approves Abbot test called BinaxNOW
A COVID-19 test takes only 15 minutes and doesn't need any lab equipment got approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It runs on a simple card that uses the technology similar to a pregnancy test and will cost $5.
The test is called BinaxNOW, is produced by the health care company Abbott. Abbott is also launching an app that gets sync up with the tests and gives people a "digital health pass", who test negative for the virus which they can display on their mobile. CEO Robert Ford stated that the combination of the test and the app gives a "comprehensive testing solution."
Abbott shared in a press release that it plans to offer 50 million tests per month by the end of October.
"Due to its simpler design and the large number of tests the company anticipates making in the coming months, this new antigen test is an important advancement in our fight against the pandemic," said Jeff Shuren, director of the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health.
As per the FDA statement, the test can be done in doctors' offices, emergency rooms, and even schools. It runs off a nasal swab and the sample gets inserted directly into the BinaxNOW card if the test is positive for coronavirus a coloured line appears.
Abbott says that the test accurately diagnoses a coronavirus infection 97.1 percent of the time, and accurately returns a negative result 98.5 percent of the time.
BinaxNOW detects the small proteins on the surface of the coronavirus, instead of detecting the genetic sequences of the virus. Tests that look for proteins, antigen tests, instead of the virus tend to be less correct. Though, some researchers say that frequent and cheap testing with a less-accurate test is the best way to control the COVID-19 pandemic.
Most of the COVID-19 tests that are available today are sent off to a lab for analysis. This summer, people in the United States have reported waiting for results up to a week. "With a rapid antigen test, you get a result right away, getting infectious people off the streets and into quarantine so they don't spread the virus," said Joseph Petrosino, a professor of molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine.