WHO to distribute COVID-19 rapid tests worldwide

• COVID-19 rapid test kits will soon be rolled out to low and middle-income countries, the WHO announced.
• The Rapid Test kit results will be available within 15-30 minutes.
• Quick test results will mean quick action from local health authorities and the WHO.

As the global count for coronavirus cases reaches more than 33 million and the death count over 1 million, there is a need for a test that gives immediate results. Quick results would mean a quick response.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 120 million COVID-19 tests that give results in 15 to 30 minutes will be distributed worldwide to low and middle-income countries.

Test results from current rapid antigen tests take several days and are expensive. The easy-to-use and portable test kits are currently priced at a maximum of $5 each but will be expected to be less expensive.

The WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency has partnered with test manufacturers and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to make 120 million test kits available to these countries over a period of six months.

In a news conference in Geneva, Tedros said, “This will enable the expansion of testing, particularly in hard-to-reach areas that do not have lab facilities or enough trained health workers to carry out PCR [polymerase chain reaction] tests.”

"I’m pleased to announce that thanks to an agreement between WHO, partners here today and others, a substantial proportion of these rapid #COVID19 tests – 120 million – will be made available to low- and middle-income countries"-@DrTedros #ACTogether— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) September 28, 2020

“This is a vital addition to their testing capacity and is especially important in areas of high transmission. The quicker COVID-19 can be diagnosed, the quicker action can be taken to treat and isolate those with the virus and trace their contacts,” Tedros continued.

These rapid tests may be considered less accurate than the PCR tests but it can provide quicker action in those countries where specialty lab equipment for PCR tests are scarce and results take days.

Rapid antigen test now approved by @WHO & set for delivery to low/middle income countries gives results in 15 min, works best when individual has high viral load and likely to be in the more contagious phase of infection. Need to ramp this up so everyone can be tested regularly. pic.twitter.com/OZAp7Iw9j2— Dr. Ali Nouri (@AliNouriPhD) September 28, 2020

WHO gave emergency approval for South Korean manufacturer SD BioSensor and another test kit from Abbott is awaiting the agency’s approval.

According to Tedros, the agency is still in the process of raising funds for purchasing the tests but “We have an agreement, we have seed funding, and now we need the full amount of funds to buy these tests.”

Source: The Hill