US approves test that can detect coronavirus in five minutes

A rapid test has been approved in the United States which is intended to detect within minutes whether a person is infected with the coronavirus.

Abbott Laboratories said the device is small and portable – about the size of a toaster – and can be set up outside hospitals, for instance.

The test kit can determine within five minutes whether a sample is infected with Sars-CoV-2 and 13 minutes to definitively confirm if it is negative, the US health care company said.

Abbott announced late Friday that its equipment had received emergency authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration and that it aims to manufacture 5 million kits a month.

Last weekend, the FDA approved a testing procedure that is supposed to provide results within 45 minutes. But those tests, from the manufacturer Cepheid, are to be used mainly in hospitals.

ALSO READ: Spain reports record 832 new coronavirus deaths

The country’s ability to combat the coronavirus was hampered early on by a lack of testing capacity and then lengthy delays once the test had been performed.

The United States now has more confirmed cases of Covid-19, the disease that can be caused by the Sars-CoV-2 virus, than any other country.

(DPA)

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Coronavirus: We Must Provide Relief Before Lockdown, Lawan Urges FG • Insists on NASS committees’ monitoring of N6.5 billion for NCDC
As the Federal Government considered total lockdown to combat the spread of the pandemic, coronavirus, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has called on the Federal Government to immediately put in place measures to guarantee relief for poor Nigerians whose daily livelihood would be affected as a result of… Read full story

Air France Airlifts 260 French Citizens Out Of Nigeria
Air France airline has begun to airlift French citizens from Nigeria. The evacuation which kicked off following the approval given by the Federal Government to an earlier request by the Air France General Manager in Nigeria, Michel Colleau, saw about 260 nationals of the country being evacuated out of Nigeria on Thursday… Read full story

COVID-19: Abba Kyari Undergoing Treatment In Secured Facility ― FG •SGF Boss Mustapha, health minister, Perm Sec test negative
The Federal Government finally opened up on Thursday on the state of health of the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari who tested positive to COVID-19, after returning from a trip to Germany and Egypt and interacted fully with top government officials at the Presidency and Nigeria power circle… Read full story