FDA approves rapid test

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first coronavirus diagnostic test that can be conducted entirely at the point of care.

The test from California-based Cepheid will deliver results in about 45 minutes — much faster than current tests that require a sample to be sent to a centralized lab, where results can take days.

The test has been designed to operate on any of Cepheid's more than 23,000 automated GeneXpert Systems worldwide, of which 5,000 are in the U.S., the company said. The systems are already being used to test for conditions such as HIV and tuberculosis. The systems do not require users to have specialty training to perform testing and are capable of running around the clock.

[...]

The test initially will be used primarily by hospitals, the company said, but the FDA's "emergency use authorization" covers all “patient care settings,” including doctors’ offices.

The test will begin shipping next week.

  The Hill

That's of course good news, but if the Criminal in Chief had allowed the experts to guide him instead of his desire to hide news that might adversely affect his reelection, this could have been done two months ago. And how many people would have been spared if it had?

UPDATE:  Also...