Coronavirus Testing: Rancho Cordova Company Hopes To Get Rapid Test Approved By FDA
RANCHO CORDOVA (CBS13) — It's the question in many people's minds, do I have the coronavirus?
Chief Technology Officer Phil Coelho with ThermoGenesis told CBS13 he and his team have developed a test for you to find out and fast.
"The main virtue of serological tests is that they are inexpensive, relatively, and the results can be determined in minutes," Coelho said.
ThermoGenesis has been developing an antibody test for the COVID-19 since November.
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"You need an inexpensive, fast, clear and unambiguous test of whether someone is now safe," Coelho said.
It works similar to a diabetic's glucose level test, not like the widely-seen nasal swab tests which test for molecules of the virus.
Your finger would be pricked for a few drops of blood before placing it on a card which would show if you have the two COVID-19 antibodies.
"And because this virus has never been in humans before, we know that antibodies that are specific to this virus means you have been infected. It's an irrefutable proof," Coelho said.
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The company said it's wrapping up it's FDA validation paper for approval. Something Coelho thinks could come fast - as the agency accelerating its review process.
He hope that this will get these testing the hands of doctors sooner and get the world back on track.
"It's kind of a passport to come back to work. In other words, who is safe to come back to work," Coelho said. "The answer is someone who has contacted the virus, has come out the other side and now cannot be infected again. And at the same time, he can't infect anyone else."
The company hopes to sell the tests to medical companies before trying to expand to private companies.