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Abbott rolls out new COVID-19 test to better understand the virus

Date: April 16, 2020 Nandita Bhardwaj Nandita Bhardwaj
Abbott rolls out new COVID-19 test to better understand the virus 
Abbott Laboratories, a renowned US-based healthcare and medical devices company, has reportedly launched its third coronavirus test. The COVID-19 test is a laboratory based serology blood-test to detect the antibody, IgG, which detects if a person was infected with coronavirus.



Antibody testing is a crucial next step to understand if an individual has been infected earlier. The testing will give a better knowledge of the virus, including how much time antibodies remain in the body and also if they provide immunity. This kind of information could support the development of vaccines and treatments.



This new antibody trial adds to the company’s current COVID-19 tests that are being used already, including its m 2000 molecular laboratory system as well as the its molecular point-of-care device called ID NOW.



The Chief Executive Officer and President of Abbott, Robert B. Ford stated that the company continues to make contributions in a meaningful and significant way by offering new solutions through its diagnostic testing platforms. The company is extremely proud of the employees working hard to get more and more tests to patients and healthcare workers.



Abbott is making these trials available as a part of the U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) notification without a EUA (Emergency Use Authorization) pathway outlined in the Policy for Diagnostic Tests for Coronavirus Disease-2019 in a Public Health Emergency. In addition, the company also plans to file for an EA submission together with the FDA and aims to CE Mark to IVD Directive (98/79/EC) across the EU (European Union).



Abbott is substantially increasing its production for antibody testing and is hoping to deliver about 1 million tests this week to the U.S. consumers. The company is also expecting to deliver a total of 4 million coronavirus tests for April. Abbott is also scaling up to 20 million COVID-19 tests in June across the United States as it looks to extend the tests to operate on its new AlinityTM i system.



 



Source credit: https://abbott.mediaroom.com/2020-04-15-Abbott-Launches-Third-COVID-19-Test-a-Laboratory-Based-Antibody-Blood-Test-That-Will-Ship-in-the-U-S-Starting-Tomorrow

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Nandita Bhardwaj

Nandita holds a management degree with specialization in marketing, and boasts of a short-term experience in the field of recruitment. Following her passion for writing however, she decided to pursue a career in the field of content development. Presently, Nandita pens down news pieces for newsorigins.com, spanning the verticals of business, finance, and technology.