HOUSTON — A new 15-minute COVID-19 test promises to make COVID-19 testing faster, easier and cheaper. The tests will cost $5 and should be available soon.
Before rolling out the new test, experts at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston helped review the test's data and findings.
"There really hasn't been a push like this in the history of medicine as far as I'm concerned," Joe Petrosino said.
Petrosino is a virology expert at Baylor College of Medicine. He, along with other U.S. researchers, reviewed the new BinaxNow COVID-19 antigen test.
"We all agree that this is something that's greatly needed at this stage and time," Petrosino said.
The test demonstrated 97.1% sensitivity. That means very few cases of the disease were missed. Generally, though, antigen tests are less accurate and yield more false negatives than traditional lab-based tests. But Petrosino said this test's ease makes up for that.
"It's not a nasal pharyngeal test," Petrosino said. "So you won't feel like your brain is being poked every time you take the test. The tests can be repeated pretty easily."
Test results are back in 15 minutes.
"The test is readable like a pregnancy test," Petrosino said. It's all-encompassing in one card. Having all that makes it a game-changer for surveillance testing."
The test works in coordination with a free mobile app called Navica. The app will display test results quickly and allow people to quickly share that information with their employer or their school.
"It's the type of test that can be used in schools, workplaces doing surveillance on people there so it can be repeated over and over again multiple times a week and provide a secure environment for people to return to work and school," Petrosino said.
There will be tens of millions of tests available by September and the company is aiming to produce 50 million tests a month starting in October. Experts believe this test opens up the door to normalcy while we await a vaccine.
"There will be more coming, this is just the first of a new wave of tests," Petrosino said.
Houston could see the test as early as next month. Petrosino said the latest tests also gets us closer to a more reliable take-home COVID-19 test.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly attributed the new BinaxNow COVID-19 antigen test to Gov. Greg Abbott. Those portions of the article have been edited.