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Friday, March 29, 2024

Examining New COVID Tests And How They Work

Credit: FOX 47 News Michigan
Duration: 02:57s 0 shares 1 views

Examining New COVID Tests And How They Work
Examining New COVID Tests And How They Work

Everything from throat swabs and saliva tests to breathalyzers are potential options for new COVID tests.

The federal government has ordered 150-million rapid anti-gen tests to help identify cases in places like schools and disaster zones.

Ash-Har Quraishi is looking into how these tests work.

EVERYTHING FROM THROAT SWABS ANDSALIVA TESTS... TO EVENBREATHALYZERS AREPOTENTIAL OPTIONS FOR COVID-19TESTS.THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HASORDERED 150 MILLION RAPIDANTI-GEN TESTSTO HELP IDENTIFY CASES IN PLACESLIKE SCHOOLS AND DISASTER AREAS.ASH-HAR QURAISHITAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT HOW THOSETESTS-- WORK.SIX MONTHS INTO THE GLOBALPANDEMIC AND EXPERTS SAY WESTILL NEED BETTER AND MOREFREQUENT TESTING.SUPPLY CHAIN BOTTLENECKS, LONGTURNAROUND TIMES AND THE LOOMINGFLU SEASONHAVE MANY PHARMACEUTICALSSCRAMBLING FOR A BETTER TEST.SOT DR. EMILY LANDONINFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST02:36 "THERE'S BEEN A GREAT PUSHAND ALOT OF INNOVATION HAS GONE INTODEVELOPING NEW TESTS THAT MIGHTBE ABLE TO BE USED INDIFFERENT SCENARIOS."JOHN HACKET JUNIOR IS THE VICEPRESIDENT OF APPLIED RESEARCHAND TECHNOLOGY AT ABBOTTLABORATORIES.

HE SAYS THEIRSIXTH ITERATION OF THE COVID 19TEST KNOWN AS "BINAX NOW" - IS ACOMPACT CREDIT CARD SIZED RAPIDTEST SIMILAR TO A HOMEPREGNANCY TEST.03:05 "YOU ARE RECEIVING A NASALSWAB AND THEN THAT SWAB ISDIRECTLY INSERTED INTO THE CARDAND THERE'SA SMALL POUCH THERE THAT IT'SINSERTED INTO SIX DROPS OF ABUFFER HAD BEEN PLACED THEREPRIORTO PUTTING IN THE SWAB."THOUGH IT DOES REQUIRE AHEALTHCARE WORKER TO ADMINISTER- NO SPECIALTY LAB EQUIPMENT ISNEEDEDTO PROCESS THE ANTIGEN TEST.RESULTS ARE AVAILABLE IN ABOUT15 MINUTES.

THE COST - FIVEDOLLARS A PIECE.SOT JOHN HACKETT JR. VP OFAPPLIED RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY,ABBOTT LABORATORIES 01:57 "SO IN15 MINUTES YOU CAN LOOK AT THEFRONT OF THIS TEST AND IF YOUSEE A SINGLE LINE THAT WOULD BETHECONTROL LINE AND IF THERE'S TWOLINES THAT WOULD INDICATE THATTHE INDIVIDUAL IS POSITIVE FORSARS-COV-2.THE TEST WAS GRANTED EMERGENCYUSE AUTHORIZATION BY THE FDA.

ITINCLUDES AN APP THATALLOWS PEOPLE WHO TEST NEGATIVETO DISPLAY A TEMPORARY DIGITALHEALTH PASS -FOR QUICKSCREENING.STAND-UPTHE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION QUICKLYBOUGHT UP 150 MILLION TESTS -MOST OF ABBOTT'S SUPPLY A DEALREPORTEDLY WORTH MORE THAN $750MILLION DOLLARS.OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE ALREADYBEGINNING TO DEPLOY THE TESTS TOSTATES, NURSING HOMES,SCHOOLS AND AREAS HIT HARD BYRECENT NATURAL DISASTERS.03:43 "THESE ANTIGEN TESTSHOWEVERARE FAST AND CHEAP, AND IT CANBE DONE REALLY EASILY."DR. EMILY LANDON ANEPIDEMIOLOGIST AND INFECTIOUSDISEASE SPECIALIST AT UNIVERSITYOF CHICAGO MEDICINE SAYS THOUGH,HELPFUL IN SOME SCENARIOS -QUICK ANTIGEN TESTS LIKE THISCAN BELESS ACCURATE AND HAVE A HIGHFALSE POSITIVE RATE.03:12 "THESE TESTS AREN'TPERFECT ANDSOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN IN THATSITUATION WITH STREP THROATWHERE YOU FIND THAT EVEN IF THETEST ISNEGATIVE THAT THEY SEND OFF ACULTURE AFTERWARDS TO MAKEABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THATYOU DON'T HAVE STREP THROAT ANDTHESE TESTS ARE KIND OFSIMILAR."STILL, EXPERTS SAY HAVING AVARIETY OF TESTING OPTIONS ISBENEFICIAL.

BUT THE GOLDSTANDARD OFACCURACY REMAINS THE DEEPNASOPHARYNGEAL SWAB TESTSPROCESSED IN A LAB.REPORTING FROM CHICAGO I'MASH-HAR QURAISHI.

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