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Abbott invents 5-minute COVID-19 test kit

WASHINGTON: Abbott Laboratories, based in USA, has invented a portable device to figure out if a person has COVID-19 or not in just 5 minutes.

The kit has not been approved by FDA yet and can only be used in case of emergency. Abbott President and CEO Robert Ford commenting on the kit stated: “The Covid-19 pandemic will be fought on multiple fronts, and a portable molecular test that offers results in minutes adds to the broad range of diagnostic solutions needed to combat this virus.” 

According to Abbott Laboratories  FDA had given it emergency authorization to begin making the test available to healthcare providers as early as next week: “The test has not been cleared or approved by the FDA, and has only been authorized for emergency use by approved labs and healthcare providers,” informed Abbott.

Negative Results: It is pertinent to mention here that the kit is the size of a small toaster. It utilizes molecular technology and also shows -ve results within 13 minutes. Moreover, the small size enables medical workers to use it outside the hospitals right in outbreak hotspots. Abbott is presently working with the FDA to send the kit to virus epicentres.

A relevant piece published earlier: 

Mysterious SARS-Like Coronavirus surfaces in USA

22nd of January, 2020

WASHINGTON: Authorities here have confirmed on Tuesday (21st of January, 2020) US’s first case of the mysterious  Coronavirus  that had so far taken nine lives in China.

According to Federal and State Officials, the affected man, in his thirties, is presently in good condition. He has approached the concerned authorities himself after reading about the symptoms of virus.

State Health Official Chris Spitters informed that the infected man was currently hospitalized out of an abundance of precaution, and for short term monitoring, not because there was severe illness. Nancy Messonier, Senior Official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) while stressing that the overall risk to Americans remained low maintained: “This is an evolving situation and again, we do expect additional patients in the US and globally.”

WHO is holding an emergency meeting today to determine whether to declare a rare global public health emergency over the disease, which has also been detected in Thailand, Japan and South Korea and Taiwan. USA is joining countries around the world in ramping-up measures to stop the spread of Coronavirus.

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M M Alam

M. M. Alam is a Pakistan-based working journalist since 1981. Karachi University faculty gold medalist Alam began his career four decades ago by writing for Dawn, Pakistan’s highest circulating English daily. He has worked for region’s leading publications, global aviation periodicals including Rotors (of USA) and vetted New York Times as permanent employee of daily Express Tribune. Alam regularly covers international aviation and defense-related events including Salon Du Bourget (France), Farnborough (United Kingdom), Dubai (UAE). Alam has reported thousands of events and interviewed hundreds of people in Pakistan, UAE, EU, UK and USA. Being Francophone Alam also coordinates with a number of French publications.