BD Veritor Plus is a portable, rapid and easy-to-use point-of-care antigen test that detects SARS-CoV-2 – the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 – with a simple, digital display
BD is the official Covid-19 testing partner of USATF. (Credit: PRNewswire / Becton, Dickinson and Company)
USA Track & Field (USATF) and BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company, have partnered to provide rapid COVID-19 testing for USATF athletes at Journey to Gold meets to help get USATF professional athletes back to competition safely through the use of the BD Veritor Plus system.
“Providing USATF athletes a safe place to compete is always our top priority but during a pandemic, we needed to find a partner that could provide rapid COVID-19 testing expertise in order to give our athletes peace of mind as they focus on competing,” said USATF CEO Max Siegel. “Partnering with BD will give our athletes confidence that they can focus on doing their best on the field of play.”
BD Veritor™ Plus is a portable, rapid and easy-to-use point-of-care antigen test that detects SARS-CoV-2 – the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 – with a simple, digital display. By providing results in just 15 minutes, this test will help ensure the safety of our country’s fastest and strongest track and field athletes, their coaches, event organizers and other personnel.
“BD is committed to helping people around the world get back on track with their normal lives as soon as possible, which includes providing a safe environment for athletic competitions,” said Dave Hickey, president of Life Sciences for BD. “As the official COVID-19 testing partner of USA Track and Field, we’re excited to be supporting these world-class athletes – as well as event organizers and other personnel – as they get back on the track and compete to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials.”
Testing to Keep the Athletes Safe
As the official COVID-19 testing partner of USATF, tests using the BD Veritor™ Plus System will be conducted at multiple events throughout the Journey to Gold – Tokyo Outdoor Track & Field Series to help keep athletes safe as they seek to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field. For the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, USATF requires pre-travel testing. Athletes, coaches, officials, agents, medical and meet management staff and others will then be tested every two days throughout the Trials using BD Veritor’s COVID-19 rapid antigen test and will also be subject to additional PCR tests. The testing will be administered for USATF by Premier Medical Group USA, a third-party provider that manages end-to-end testing.
The USATF COVID-19 safety plan exceeds all U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) guidelines.
BD’s partnership with USATF is part of the company’s overarching commitment to helping get people back to their normal lives as soon as possible. Ensuring people have a fast and reliable way to determine their COVID-19 status is critical to slowing the spread of the disease while helping people return to the activities they’ve been missing.
USATF is also committed to protecting the welfare of its constituents, fans and stakeholders during this unprecedented time. The USATF COVID-19 Working Group of medical, scientific and industry experts, which advises on matters related to COVID-19, receives regular updates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the USOPC and other U.S. professional sports leagues.
Source: Company Press Release