Rapid COVID-19 Test Gives Results in 15 Minutes

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• The COVID-19 antigen test kits will run on Becton Dickinson’s Veritor Plus system and give results in 15 minutes.
• It may be faster but there are questions on its reliability as compared to the standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
• European countries like France and Spain have had surges in coronavirus cases after summer’s lull. 

New Jersey-based medical-device maker Becton Dickinson announced that their rapid COVID-19 test that works on their portable Veritor Plus system has been cleared for the European market by end of October after meeting the European market’s requirements.

European countries like France and Spain have been experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases after a decrease in cases over the summer.

According to Becton Dickinson, the test now has the European Union’s “CE” mark, proving that it already has run tests in Europe and has already met its requirements. In the US, the Food and Drug Administration has given it an emergency use authorization since July.

Becton Dickinson’s president for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Roland Goette, said in a statement, “The addition of a truly portable, point-of-care test that can deliver results while the patient waits will be welcomed by health care providers and patients alike to help protect against additional waves of COVID-19.”

The portable Veritor Plus system has already been in use for testing diseases like strep throat and flu in Europe. 

Now it will be used for testing antigens that scan proteins on the surface of the coronavirus. The cheaper test will give results in 15 minutes. It may be faster but there are questions on its reliability as compared to the standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.

The PCR needs lab analysis as it analyzes the entire viral genome and would take days to get the results.

The company has this in mind as it investigates reports of false-positive coronavirus test results in American nursing homes using their Veritor plus machines.   

Becton Dickinson is expected to produce 8 million antigen tests a month by October, and 12 million antigen tests by March of 2021. 

Source: New York Post