🔬 Now it is possible to test for corona in five minutes

ID NOW is the name of an analytical instrument that in five minutes can show if a patient has the coronavirus. If the patient is healthy, it will take 13 minutes for the device to give that answer. Compare this to the several hours it usually takes to get a corona test response.

Another advantage of ID NOW is that the instrument is smaller than most systems used today. It is no bigger than a toaster, which allows it to be installed almost anywhere. Instead of sending samples for tests, emergency clinics, health centers, pharmacies and others can do the test directly on site.

The test method that ID NOW uses is based on identifying a small piece of the virus's genome and then enlarging it until there is enough space for secure identification.

Manufacturer Abbott has emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the detection of novel coronavirus, COVID-19.

Abbott expects to be able to deliver 50,000 tests a day. Initially, all Id Now for corona goes to US healthcare, but hopefully Abbott can soon start delivering to other countries as well.