Abbott has reported that its ID NOW Covid-19 rapid test showed strong agreement to lab-based molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) instruments based on an interim analysis of an ongoing multi-site clinical study in urgent care clinics.
Launched in 2014, ID NOW is a rapid, instrument-based, isothermal system for the qualitative detection of infectious diseases. It is a molecular point-of-care platform for Influenza A & B, Strep A and RSV testing in the US.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Compared to two different lab-based PCR reference methods, the data from the interim results demonstrated ≥94.7% sensitivity and ≥98.6% specificity of the test.
The study evaluated samples from 256 patients and compared the results to a test developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Abbott Rapid Diagnostics infectious disease senior medical director Philip Ginsburg said: “We are pleased that ID NOW is delivering on what it was designed to do – quickly detect the virus in people who need to know now if they are infected.
“This is great news for people who are experiencing symptoms and want to take action before they infect others, reducing the spread of infection in society.”
The test delivers results quickly and helps to reduce the spread of infection by detecting Covid-19-positive patients faster.
The Everett Clinic in Washington, US, and an ongoing study of hospitalised and nursing home patients sponsored by Abbott also suggest that ID NOW performs best in patients tested earlier post-symptom onset.
The studies analysed ID NOW with variations in patient populations based on the number of days a patient was tested after first experiencing symptoms.
