COVID-19 Hero: Abbott Launches Advanced Molecular Point-of-Care Testing

Our daily life continues to be consumed by the impact of COVID-19, whether that be scanning news stories, talking about remote work with co-workers, or checking in on the health of close family and friends – we are all adjusting to the “new normal” that has been forced upon us.

For many companies, that new normal means doing their part to combat this global pandemic.

As a leader in diagnostics testing, Abbott has received emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA for its molecular test for the detection of the novel coronavirus. The Abbott ID NOW™ COVID-19 test brings rapid testing to a wide range of front-line healthcare environments, such as physicians' offices, urgent care clinics, and hospital emergency departments.

The tests are intended to identify the virus by recognizing a unique section of the coronavirus genome and amplifying that portion until there's enough for detection of the similar strain.

"With rapid testing on ID NOW, healthcare providers can perform molecular point-of-care testing outside the traditional four walls of a hospital in outbreak hotspots," Abbott stated in a recent press release. The timely results enable healthcare professionals to make efficient treatment and infection control decisions.

The deployment of the Abbott ID NOW COVID-19 test comes just a week after Abbott launched its Abbott m2000™ RealTime SARS-CoV-2 EUA test. Between the two platforms, Abbott expects to produce close to five million tests per month.

Abbott’s molecular testing technology will help in the effort to stop the spread of this virus — something we all need to continue working together on to achieve. 

Have a COVID-19 Hero you would like to nominate? Please reach out to Alexa Rice with details.