The point-of-care test will detect antibodies in blood to confirm current or past exposure to COVID-19 within 15 minutes
The point-of-care test will be in four simple steps. (Credit: BD)
Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), along with the BioMedomics, has introduced a new rapid serology test for the detection of exposure to COVID-19, the disease caused due to the novel coronavirus.
The point-of-care test has been designed for the detection of antibodies in blood to confirm current or past exposure to COVID-19 within 15 minutes.
BioMedomics has developed and produced new serology test
Developed and produced by BioMedomics, the new serology test will available via BD and supplied exclusively by Henry Schein to health care providers across the US.
The point-of-care test does not need special equipment and can be conducted in a laboratory or at the point of care.
The rapid serology test identifies antibodies in the blood, which are generated by the body in response to coronavirus infection.
These antibodies are generally observed in the middle to later stages of COVID-19 infection but may remain present after exposure, which enables clinicians to determine who has been exposed to the coronavirus.
BD integrated diagnostic solutions president Dave Hickey said: “Serology tests are important because they provide an additional piece of information to aid in characterizing possible prior exposure to SARS-CoV-2, especially since many infections are mild or asymptomatic in severity.”
BioMedomics’ test will be conducted in four steps. The first step involves the collection of blood through normal blood collection devices such as the BD Microtainer contact-activated lancet.
Later, a few drops of blood will be transferred to the test cartridge and two to three drops of a buffer will be added. The results can be observed in 15 minutes, which shows multiple lines for positive results and a single line for negative results.
The test studies blood, serum or plasma samples for the presence of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies linked with the novel coronavirus.
BioMedomics CEO Frank Wang said: “BioMedomics designed the test to be easy to use and provide results in minutes, with no special equipment necessary or the need to transport the sample to a laboratory for analysis.”
Separately, the South Florida-based disaster recovery firm Disaster Management Group (DMG) has introduced a 15-minute COVID-19 screening tool.