As in most other countries, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working to make testing for the coronavirus disease as widespread as possible. One of these products could be a big step forward in technology to combat this disease.
Abbott Company for emergency use of its toaster-sized ID NOW mini-lab. The device is capable of providing results in just 5 minutes when testing a person for Covid-19, and provides an absolutely accurate diagnosis in 13 minutes. It is also one of the few tests of its kind that can be used outside the hospital, such as in clinics.
The key is to use molecular testing, which looks for a small, characteristic piece of RNA from the SARS-CoV-2 virus in biomaterial taken from a patient, rather than antibodies like other tests. Other methods may take hours or days.
Abbott is already ramping up production and expects to ship 50 tests per day to the U.S. starting next week. However, one of the main advantages can be the company's existing network. ID NOW's platform already has the largest presence of any molecular test in the United States and is widely available in physician offices and emergency rooms. If all goes well, the United States will soon be able to gain a more accurate understanding of the scope of the pandemic and therefore better respond to what is happening, providing those infected with the necessary care as quickly as possible.
Source: 3dnews.ru