FDA: Newly-approved coronavirus test works in 45 minutes, to be rolled out next week
A patient COVID-19 swab is taken out from a sterile tube as lab technicians carry out a diagnostic test for coronavirus in the microbiology laboratory inside the Specialist Virology Centre at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. (Photo by Ben
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that it has approved the use of a rapid coronavirus diagnostic test that returns results in approximately 45 minutes.
Cepheid, a California-based molecular diagnostics company behind the test, says that it expects it to begin shipping next week.
"During this time of increased demand for hospital services, Clinicians urgently need an on-demand diagnostic test for real-time management of patients being evaluated for admission to health-care facilities. An accurate test delivered close to the patient can be transformative — and help alleviate the pressure that the emergence of the 2019-nCoV outbreak has put on healthcare facilities that need to properly allocate their respiratory isolation resources," said Dr. David Persing, MD, Ph.D., Chief Medical and Technology Officer at Cepheid.
So far, there are nearly 287,000 cases of coronavirus confirmed around the globe, with 11,900 deaths. Nearly 89,000 people have recovered.