HEALTH CANADA APPROVES 1ST RAPID ANTIGEN COVID-19 TEST
Oct 06, 2020
By Bob Komsic
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Canadian regulators have approved another rapid COVID test, only this one is the first antigen device to get the green light.
Antigen tests look for specific markers on the outside of a virus while all the tests previously approved in Canada look for the novel coronavirus’s genetic material.
The Panbio test from Abbott Rapid Diagnostics in Germany can deliver results in 15 minutes, using a swab and a device somewhat resembling a pregnancy-test stick.
The test is said to be accurate at diagnosing a positive case 93% of the time, while negative results are accurate 99% of the time.
It’s the fourth test approved by Health Canada that can be done without sending specimens to a lab and the second which can provide results in 15 minutes or less.
Canada has an agreement that’ll see 20.5-million of the antigen tests shipped here.
Just last week Health Canada agreed to buy 7.9-million of another rapid test from Abbott Diagnostics in the U.S.