Newly approved novel coronavirus test gives results in 45 minutes

The Food and Drug Administration approved the first rapid test for the novel coronavirus over the weekend. The test, made by the biotechnology company Cepheid, returns results in around 45 minutes and does not need to be processed in a lab.

But the test should primarily be used in emergency rooms and hospitals, not in doctors’ offices, David Persing, chief medical officer of Cepheid, told Stat News. In a hospital, it could help streamline care for sick people — knowing someone has or does not have COVID-19 quickly will let doctors decide how much protective equipment is needed to treat them, for example. “This is not a test for the worried well,” Persing said.

Machines that run the new Cepheid tests are already in some health care...

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