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Diagnostic testing EXAMINATION
We feel that COVID testing should be more widely available in locations where people work, live, and study.
Today, we’re pleased to announce that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for our widely used BinaxNOW rapid test, which is the size of a credit card and requires no instrumentation, for use at home with a prescription via a virtually guided online service.
The BinaxNOW test, which offers results in minutes and detects the virus early in the disease when individuals are most contagious, will be used in conjunction with an online service supplied by eMed that guides patients through the testing procedure.
It’s a huge improvement over previous testing choices, which require consumers to collect their samples without the assistance of a professional, package the specimen, submit it to a lab, and wait a few days, if not weeks, for findings.
Equally essential, our house test will be inexpensive accessible and will instill trust in the home-testing procedure. BinaxNOW, which costs $25 (plus delivery) through eMed, is the cheapest at-home COVID testing service available. And when combined with the NOVICA app, our test provides proof of a valid test result in the form of a digitally-authenticated NOVICA pass, ensuring the integrity of reporting so that public health officials have access to critical, real-time data on the disease and how it is spreading during the pandemic.
The new EUA comes just three months after we launched BinaxNOW. It expands on our objective – to decentralize and democratize testing – by providing testing to more people in more areas, therefore slowing the spread of the virus.
As the epidemic has progressed, so has the necessity for quick testing.” Unfortunately, we continue to hear that many patients are unable to obtain testing as rapidly as they require,” said Robert B. Ford, Abbott’s president and chief executive officer. “That is why Abbott is bringing its quick BinaxNOW test and NOVICA platform into homes through this relationship with eMed, allowing us to retain the integrity of the testing process, reach even closer to individuals who need testing, and assist offer the trust we need to go forward.
Abbott and anticipate that 30 million BinaxNOW tests will be delivered and administered in the first quarter of 2021, with an additional 90 million in the second quarter. Abbott has increased capacity in its U.S. facilities to 50 million tests per month since the launch of BinaxNOW in August. The federal government is now disseminating these tests, and Abbott is growing further to provide more individuals with access to the testing.
This is how it works
The end service is offered through Abbott’s NOVICA app, available in English and Spanish and downloaded from the Apple and Android app stores.
Once the eligibility conditions are completed, the test kit is mailed straight to the home user or a pick-up site, allowing the individual to stay isolated until their status is determined.
When a BinaxNOW test kit is delivered to the house, the user enters the eMed portal to begin their guided testing session. They may expect to receive results in around 20 minutes via NOVICA, where a digital pass with a QR code emerges that can be read by companies that accept NOVICA.
To offer a worry-free testing experience for the home user, the end-trained guide is ready to answer concerns during the testing procedure. eMed records the results and shares them with public health authorities to monitor and regulate the virus’s spread.
Adding to a strong portfolio
In the United States, we produced eight COVID-19 tests that have all gained EUA. Each of our test kinds — antigen, molecular, and serology — contributes to combating the epidemic and providing individuals more confidence to return to school, work, and other activities they like.
Making our BinaxNOW test available at home may reduce the viral spread and relieve certain testing responsibilities (such as lack of transportation and inconvenient testing times).
By the end of 2020, we will have sold more than 300 million COVID-19 tests globally across all of our platforms.
We know from recent consumer research that the majority of people aren’t yet entirely comfortable testing themselves at home, so the eMed service is meant to deliver a confident and smooth experience, “said Chris Scoggins, Abbott’s senior vice president of quick diagnostics. “The ease and convenience of the at-home test, as well as the ability to display your findings on the NOVICA app, together with vaccinations and other preventive measures, will offer us all a chance at resuming normalcy and returning to our lives.
Mosarof Hossain
