There is now a new COVID-19 test from the house of the healthcare technology maker, Abbott. By far, it seems to be the fastest technology in terms of producing results, without requiring a round trip to the lab. The test machine for novel coronavirus is introduced due to the heavy onset of the global pandemic. Abbott will begin production next week, with the possibility of testing 50,000 per day.
The new Abbott ID NOW COVID-19 test uses a diagnostic platform that roughly looks like a small kitchen appliance. The small size and the time taken for producing result in five minutes or less will extend the availability of machine beyond hospitals. It can be tested in clinics and doctor’s offices while cutting down the wait time after test and receiving the diagnosis.
The key is its use of molecular testing that looks for a small section of the SARS-CoV-2 virus RNA and then expands the testing segment until there’s enough to detect. While the molecular testing takes about 5 minutes to show the report, other methods can take hours and days to produce the required results. Now, there is “the” largest molecular testing presence in the US, and is widely available in clinics and emergency rooms.
In total, Abbott now believes that it will produce about 5 million tests in April.
If all goes well, the US could make an accurate representation of pandemic’s scope and ensure that the infected get the right care as soon as possible.
