FDA Has Approved Abbott’s Quick $5 COVID-19 Test For Public Use
Image via Abbott
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a COVID-19 test by the healthcare company Abbott.
The 15-minute test is called BinaxNOW and comes in the form of a card. The technology detects small proteins on the surface of the COVID-19 virus.
It is used with a nasal swab, and the sample has to be directly placed into the BinaxNOW card to generate the result. A colored line will be visible if the user tests positive for the coronavirus.
The company will also be launching an app that syncs with the results to provide a “digital health pass” for those who have tested negative for the virus.
Abbott hopes that the test, which will be priced at US$5, can be used by the public in hospitals and schools, per FDA’s statement.
Abbott gets EUA for their lateral flow Covid test. This significant entry could help democratize testing, making more tests more available to people in more austere settings that don't have all the trappings found in a medical office; including schools. https://t.co/QGOrBmY1pV
— Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) August 26, 2020
BREAKING: We’re launching an innovative COVID-19 rapid antigen test and mobile app. BinaxNOW is fast and reliable for frequent mass testing, and results pair with the NAVICA app’s digital pass to help get back to life with a bit more confidence. https://t.co/LKefDGEx3f pic.twitter.com/SL7SWdrj9t
— Abbott (@AbbottNews) August 26, 2020
[via The Los Angeles Times, cover image via Abbott]
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