The FDA has given emergency approval for a nasal swab that quickly detects the Novel Coronavirus.
The University of Rochester Medical Center says the swab, which was tested in clinical trials at the center can detect the virus in just a few minutes.
Results are shown within 15 minutes of taking the swab.
The Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card Point of Care diagnostic test can be used by doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers, through the emergency order.
It’s the size of a credit card and costs just $5.
URMC says it was one of 19 universities that took part in clinical testing for the product. Results from all testing sites demonstrated the system accurately reported positive diagnoses 97.1% of the time, and correctly gave negative diagnoses 98.5% of the time.
Production is expected to reach 50 million per month by October.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected]