As some schools reopen for in-person learning, college students return to campus, and essential workers—including grocery store workers and food delivery drivers—continue showing up to work amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, many people are still concerned about a lack of available tests. And even if you are able to access a test, there can be considerable wait times in getting your result. As reported by The Verge, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just granted emergency approval for a COVID-19 antigen test that works within about 15 minutes and does not require lab equipment to run, though it does still require you to get a nasal swab from a healthcare professional.
Abbott Laboratories is the company behind the test, which is called BinaxNOW. According to a press release from the company, the test is slated to cost just $5, can sync to a free mobile app, and is the size of a standard credit card. The speed, affordability, and quick results make it easily comparable to many strep throat or flu tests. One can easily imagine schools, colleges, and community health clinics using these tests to get fast results. But to be clear, this test cannot be done at home.
How accurate are these tests? According to Abbott, tests correctly diagnose a coronavirus infection 97.1% of the time, with correct negative results at 98.5%. These results were based on patients whose healthcare provider suspected they had COVID-19 within a week of displaying symptoms. This test identifies COVID-19 antigens (the proteins found on the surface of the virus) as opposed to the virus itself.
As of now, the company intends to ship tens of millions of tests in September alone. In October, the company is aiming to produce 50 million tests. As NBC News points out, Abbott is the same company that makes the rapid test used at the White House, which is called ID Now.
While all of that sounds promising, as CNN points out, antigen tests are generally not as reliable as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.
Abbott’s press release does acknowledge this discrepancy, with microbiology professor Joseph Petrosino adding in a statement that with “lab-based tests, you get excellent sensitivity but might have to wait days or longer to get the results. With a rapid antigen test, you get a result right away, getting infectious people off the streets and into quarantine so they don't spread the virus."
As the Trump administration continues to fumble the United States’ pandemic response, we’ve covered endless frustrations in the past few months. For example, states expected to receive thousands of rapid COVID-19 tests, only to receive just over 100. In fact, early in the pandemic, the White House knowingly allowed bad tests—the result of cross-contamination in test materials and poor quality control—to circulate. Disturbingly, testing rates have fallen in a number of Republican states—even while kids are returning to school. And you might be wondering: Whatever happened to a national testing strategy? Trump deliberately squashed that reasonable approach.
