North Carolina startup gets approval for COVID-19 test that works in 15 minutes

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North Carolina startup gets approval for COVID-19 test that works in 15 minutes

https://abc11.com/coronavirus-nc-test-biomedomics-rapid/6046726


By Jonah Kaplan

Tuesday, March 24, 2020 10:11PM
MORRISVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Old North State is rich in history, and a biotechology startup is adding its name to that history with one a COVID-19 breakthrough.

BioMedomics, Inc., a small research and development firm in Research Triangle Park, created one of the world's first rapid tests to detect COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The test only requires a small blood sample and can deliver results within 15 minutes.

"I think this type of test certainly is a game changer," Kent Lupino, Director of Marketing & Product Management, tells ABC11. "Antibody-based rapid tests like ours are well-suited for initially screening patients at the point-of-care, because they are fast and don't require any laboratory equipment to conduct the test."

How it works is a big part of why it's fast: instead of trying to detect the virus' genetic signature, or RNA, the BioMedomics test measures how the patient's body is reacting to the virus. In other words, it checks whether the body's immune system is reacting to the virus - or something else.

More at the link.

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