Abbott launches 15-minute Covid testing device

Abbott, a global leader in diagnostics and medical devices, has introduced the Panbio Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Test Device in Bangladesh that can deliver results in 15 minutes.

The rapid antigen test, authorised for use by healthcare professionals, requires no instrumentation and provides results in as early as 15 minutes, making it a valuable tool for testing large numbers of patients in a variety of community settings, said a press release.

The device is a reliable, affordable, portable, and scalable option for Covid-19 testing, which can be used in places where laboratory-based instruments are not available or convenient, the release said.

It will also help improve the scale of testing, helping communities and organisations test millions of people to help reduce the risk of disease spread, in addition to PCR testing.

The rapid antigen test may also be a very useful tool for supporting public health strategies, including contact tracing and large-scale testing of people suspected of having an active infection.

Abbott has the capacity to provide millions of testing devices to Bangladesh and has already delivered devices to leading government and private hospitals and labs all over the country.

Tanbir Ashraf Bhuiyan, country manager for Abbott’s rapid diagnostics business in Bangladesh, said, “Rapid antigen tests can enable frequent Covid-19 testing on the mass scale so that those who are infected can be identified quickly to help slow the spread of the virus.”

“Abbott has leveraged its leadership in infectious diseases to create a powerful tool that makes large-scale testing fast, affordable and accessible. The company is committed to bringing this testing to Bangladesh,” he added.

Enabling access to Covid-19 tests through rapid antigen testing Rapid antigen tests detect a protein from the virus to determine if someone is currently infected because they give critical information at a point when people are at the highest risk of spreading the disease.

Antigen tests can be a powerful tool to slow the spread of infection.

Results can be shared right at the point of care to aid in diagnosis and treatment.

“Because rapid antigen tests perform the best in symptomatic people and within a week of the onset of symptoms, they are used frequently on people who are symptomatic,” said Professor AK Azad Khan, a leading academician and president of the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh.

“However, rapid antigen tests also play a critical role in community contagion where transmission levels are substantially high. Point-of-care screening can provide rapid results that can identify even asymptomatic cases to break SARS-CoV-2 transmission,” he added.

Professor Dr M Sawkat Hassan, an immunologist in the division of laboratory sciences at BIRDEM General Hospital, said, “When standard nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) are unavailable or when results are expected to be delayed beyond two to three days, rapid antigen tests could be an acceptable alternative for symptomatic patients.”

He said the speed of the test results is an advantage since positive results are available while the patient is still present.

It helps doctors take health decisions faster, he added.

Abbott’s technologies span the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals, and branded generic medicines.

With 1,09,000 employees, Abbott serves people in more than 160 countries.