The Abbott ID NOW COVID-19 test, a portable device the size of a toaster, uses molecular testing technology to detect fragments of the coronavirus genome. (Fun fact: It takes a bit longer to rule out a COVID-19 diagnosispatients can expect to wait up to 13 minutes for a negative result.)
The new test will potentially cut days off of testing wait times, while also helping to alleviate issues caused by the lack of COVID-19 tests throughout the country . Tests are heading straight to healthcare workers this week. "Through the incredible work of teams across Abbott, we expect to deliver 50,000 COVID-19 tests per day to healthcare professionals on the front lines, where testing capabilities are needed most," Chris Scoggins, senior vice president of Rapid Diagnostics for Abbott shared in a statement . "Portable molecular testing expands the country's capacity to get people answers faster."
The test uses a swab sample from the nose or the back of the throat, like novel coronavirus tests currently in use. Then, that is mixed with a chemical solution that opens up the virus and releases its RNA immediately. The ID Now system reads the sequences of the novel coronavirus genome, revealing the diagnosis in minutes. Even if there is only a small amount of COVID-19 found in the sample, the machine can amplify it enough to be detectable.
The portability of the test is just as impressive. It can be used by healthcare professionals outside of traditional hospitals with no need for a central lab facility. "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," Robert B. Ford, president and chief operating officer of Abbott shared in a statement . "With rapid testing on ID NOW, healthcare providers can perform molecular point-of-care testing outside the traditional four walls of a hospital in outbreak hotspots."
At the moment, the test has received FDA emergency use authorization, but it is not FDA approved. That means it can only be used by authorized laboratories and patient care settings, according to Abbott .
