Empower Clinics joins fight against coronavirus pandemic with four-phase US rollout of antibody testing

Empower Clinics Inc (CSE:CBDT) (OTCMKTS:EPWCF) is helping in the fight against the global pandemic and revealed it has started coronavirus (COVID-19) antibody testing at its Sun Valley Health clinics in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. The health and wellness group has established a four-phase national testing program using RAPID COVID-19 test kits, it said in a statement on Monday. Antibody testing is an essential part of the battle against the disease because it can help to establish who, and how many people, have been infected. READ: Empower Clinics launches psilocybin research and psychedelic treatment subsidiary  Phase One of Empower's program sees blood draw testing at its clinics in Arizona, using clinic phlebotomists. Samples are sent to Empower's laboratory test partner for analysis, with results expected within 48 hours. Phase Two offers a Rapid COVID-19 antibody test with results in 1-15 minutes. The service will be offered in-clinics using a drive-up service, conducted by the firm's clinic staff, as well as a door-step service, using certified mobile technicians. Empower expects phase two services will begin in May this year. Phase Three are so-called Business Employee Testing (BET) programs, also expected to kick off in May. These offer Rapid COVID-19 testing to businesses on a one-time basis, repeat basis and/or subscription basis, to assist businesses to get back to work safely. Phase Four is a US nationwide roll-out, offering all phases of the company services, that can be accessed online at Empower websites and call centers, to purchase Rapid COVID-19 test kits. The company anticipates Phase Four services to start in the third quarter of this year. "Our team are ready to meet the crisis head-on, and we have ensured that the test processes and the test kits we use, are approved in the United States under the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), as defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)," Steven McAuley, the chairman and CEO at Empower said in the statement. Empower has secured test kit supply agreements with two suppliers - NanoID Technologies Pty Ltd and Emunah Trust, LLC. Contact the author at giles@proactiveinvestors.com