One local company is donating thousands of tests they say detect antibodies in COVID-19. NBC 6’s Jamie Guirola reports.
As companies race to get rapid COVID-19 tests approved by the Food and Drug Administration, one in South Florida says theirs can produce quick results that can get people back to work and help those on the front lines.
The test, called COVID-Rapid, screens blood for antibodies and can identify who was previously infected and may have already developed immunity to the virus.
"In order to know who has had the disease since so few people have been tested for it, we need to be able to tell who has it in the past," said CEO Vincent DeGennaro.
The company says it's a simple blood test that can return results in 15 minutes. They say the accuracy to determine antibodies is 100% for old infection, but it is not designed to diagnose COVID-19.
The company that manufactures it, Abaccus Pharma International, says tens of thousands of tests are currently in a warehouse in Pompano Beach waiting to be distributed. Puerto Rico has already ordered 3 million tests, and the company also plans to donate 10,000 to the city of Miami.
"We're excited to be able to contribute. This is not about selling tests for us, this is about getting people back to work and helping repair our damaged economy and to try and minimize the impact the disease can have in our community here in Miami," DeGennaro said.
The company says it will have the capacity to make 20 million tests a month.
