Medical facilities across America will soon have a rapid diagnostic test for coronavirus, manufactured by California-based Cepheid, that could detect COVID-19 in under an hour. The test has already been authorized for use by the US Food and Drug Administration. This more efficient test comes right in time as the medical community has been desperately searching for a way to get quicker results to stem the tide of the coronavirus outbreak.
Dr. David Persing, MD, Ph.D., chief medical and technology officer at Cepheid, said:
During this time of increased demand for hospital services, Clinicians urgently need an on-demand diagnostic test for real-time management of patients being evaluated for admission to health-care facilities. An accurate test delivered close to the patient can be transformative — and help alleviate the pressure that the emergence of the 2019-nCoV outbreak has put on healthcare facilities that need to properly allocate their respiratory isolation resources.
Before the announcement was made about this new rapid test, CEO Dr. Rod Hochman of Providence St. Joseph Health (an organization of 51 hospitals and about 1,000 clinics), was disapprovingly describing the testing capacity in America as highly deficient. It was taking anywhere from 24 hours to four days for a patient to receive the testing results, which is much too long. Cases need to be identified quickly, or else community spread continues unchecked, and the nation’s medical system won’t be able to handle the consequences.
So far, over 195,000 Americans have been tested for the virus, according to Vice President Mike Pence. Of those, almost 20,000 have come back positive. These numbers don’t include health care labs or county hospitals around the country.
People are now being advised to use discretion before seeking a coronavirus test because officials are still working on increasing their availability. Tests should be administered only to those who are symptomatic.
The vice president said:
We want to remind Americans as Dr. Fauci will emphasize in a moment, if you don’t have symptoms, don’t do a test. It is another way that the American people can make sure that we are preserving the resources that our health care workers need to administer and support those who are dealing with the coronavirus and other illnesses.
Even Pence didn’t feel it was necessary to get tested, but then a staff member in his office tested positive for the virus. Noting his position in the White House, and the demand for him to work in these hard times for the nation, he and his wife will be tested for coronavirus.
