Types of Tests | Equipment Used | What You Need To Know
FDA Fast Tracks New Tests
ID NOW is the second test to receive Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA to test for COVID-19. On March 27th the FDA pushed through the second and fastest available molecular point of care test for detection of COVID-19.
Molecular Point of Care ID NOW USA
Abbott releases ID NOW, a type of rapid care coronavirus test allowing results in minutes. See an example of the technology here at Arc Scientific .
China Testing
China developed testing that has a turn around time of one hour. It is called real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT- PCR) testing, seen here at Arc Scientific To read more about RT-PCR testing in China, click here.
Drive-Thru Testing
There are over 400 drive-thru testing locations in the United States. Below are helpful links outlining where the testing locations are currently. Also, what to expect and guidelines for who is eligible for testing.
- Link to drive thru testing locations
- California’s drive-thru test guidelines
- CDC Guidelines The Coronavirus Task Force, headed by Mike Pence with leading health officials, Deborah Birx and Anthony Fauci are conducting meetings daily. To anyone with internet access but no cable, the meetings can be seen live on YouTube. Simply open YouTube on a smart phone or TV and search for “Coronavirus”. The meetings should be the first item that comes up.
What You Need To Know-
The Technology
What is Molecular Point of Care? Instead of needing to send samples to a separate lab, point of care allows testing to be done in house. This ramps up the ability of health care facilities to diagnose and better contain the spread of coronavirus. The technology behind the instruments being used is not new, its just faster than ever. In fact, when compared to China’s recent testing measures, Abbotts ID NOW tests up to 91.7% faster.
Real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) instruments are in full circulation. However, with the FDA’s release of the new lightening fast five minute test from Abbott, the capability to get a handle on this outbreak is being brought to real time.
Abbott aims to test 50,000 per day and five million per month once ID NOW is fully circulated. According to an appearance on CNN by Detroit’s Mayor, Michigan is the first state to deploy the rapid testing. For more information, click here.
Although there are over one million cases worldwide and growing, the release of rapid testing will change things. With better capability to accurately detect the level of saturation, cities, counties, states, and countries will have a much better chance to navigate this pandemic at a granular level.
The United States tops 300,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases with over 9,000 counted deaths, currently. That number is expected to surge in the following week. Rapid testing using RT-PCR may have citizens seeing those numbers skyrocket. With that more accurate count of cases, national and state governments along with pandemic health officials will ascertain how long social distancing and stay at home orders need to be in place.
