Abbott wins 5-Minute Coronavirus Test Approval for US Government

Abbott wins 5-Minute Coronavirus Test Approval for US Government

Abbott has won approval for its quick coronavirus test from the US government, the company informed on Friday. Abbott informed that the portable test can be conducted in physician’s office, hospitals and urgent care clinics. Abbott said that the company will soon ramp up its production to manufacture 50,000 tests per day. US FDA has granted the approval under its Emergency Use Authorization as coronavirus cases have gone up in the recent days. The test will run on Abbott’s ID NOW platform.

While talking to Reuters, John Frels, vice president of research and development at Abbott said, “This is a significant leap forward. You can get a positive result in five minutes and a negative result in 13 minutes. You can walk into a clinic and literally get results while you are there.”

COVID-19 has led to massive trouble worldwide and lockdown in many countries. Air travel, tourism, retail, exports and many other industries have suffered a major blow in the recent weeks, resulting in decline in stock market valuations of these companies. While the medical staff is dealing with emergency situation, people suffering from other serious health conditions have been facing more trouble.

US pharmaceutical companies have been working hard in order to find a quick and affordable solution for the pandemic. Many reports have suggested that several research teams are working on developing a vaccine and treatment for COVID-19 and US FDA will grant approval under its Emergency Use Authorization. Many companies have received approval from US FDA on an emergency basis and Roche Holding AG and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc are expected to announce the results of their research and studies on coronavirus.

“The COVID-19 pandemic will be fought on multiple fronts, and a portable molecular test that offers results in minutes adds to the broad range of diagnostic solutions needed to combat this virus,” said Robert Ford, president and chief operating officer at Abbott.

As per the latest statistics, the number of infections in the United States has crossed 100,000 with worldwide infections going above 600,000. Italy, Germany, France and Iran have witnessed quick rise in the number of infections due to coronavirus over the last couple of weeks.

Business News: 
Companies: 
Regions: