BUT STILL HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY
THEY BELIEVE THIS COULD BE A
GAME CHANGER.
THIS MORNING CORAL SPRINGS,
FLORIDA, IS USING A 15-MINUTE
ANTIGEN TEST ON ESSENTIAL
PERSONNEL.
FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE, AND CITY
WORKERS.
NO BLOOD SAMPLES REQUIRED.
JUST A SWAB FROM THE BACK OF THE
VOTE MIXED WITH A SOLUTION AND
PLACED INTO A TRAY.
IF IT TURNS BLUE, THEN IT’S
POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS.
>> THERE’S NO BETTER FEELING
THAN TO BE ABLE TO TELL A FAMILY
A RESULT RIGHT ON THE SPOT
BEFORE THEY LEAVE BECAUSE THEN
YOU CAN COUNSEL THEM, HELP THEM
KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT.
>> Reporter: TO DATE, OTHER
COVID TESTS HAVE REQUIRED LONG
WAITS UP TO 15 DAYS.
WHILE WAITING FOR THOSE, SOME
AMERICANS DO NOT QUARANTINE
WHICH CAN SPREAD THE VIRUS EVEN
MORE.
DR. DEBORAH BIRX TALKED ABOUT
THE PROMISE OF THESE RAPID TESTS
JUST AS THE PANDEMIC STARTED
OVERWHELMING OUR NATION.
>> WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DETECT
ANTIGENS RATHER THAN CONSTANTLY
TRYING TO DETECT THE LIVE VIRUS.
>> Reporter: THIS 15-MINUTE
RAPID ANTIGEN TEST WAS DEVELOPED
IN CHINA.
STUDIES ON CHINESE HEALTH CARE
WORKERS SHOWED THE TEST WAS
ACCURATE 82% OF THE TIME.
SHOULD WE BE SUSPECT SIMPLY
BECAUSE THIS IS CHINA?
>> I WOULD SAY AS A SCIENTIST,
AS A RESEARCHER I WOULD BE
SUSPECT OF ANY TEST THAT COMES
TO ME FOR EVALUATION.
IF IT CAME FROM CHINA OR ENGLAND
OR NEW ZEALAND OR EVEN WITHIN
AMERICA, I WOULD SAY THAT THOSE
TESTS ALL HAVE TO BE VALIDATED.
>> Reporter: THIS 15-MINUTE
RAPID ANTIGEN TEST IS STILL
UNPROVEN IN THE UNITED STATES.
DR. PETER ANTEVY FOR THE CORAL
SPRINGS FIRE DEPARTMENT FOLLOWS
EACH ANTIGEN TEST WITH MORE A
TIME CONSUMING TEST THAT
EXAMINES DNA.
THOSE COMPARISONS TO BE SHARED
WITH THE FDA.
WHILE AN ADMITTEDLY SMALL TEST
SAMPLE IN CORAL SPRINGS, THE
15-MINUTE RAPID TESTS HAVE BEEN
86% ACCURATE.
WHILE 86% ACCURATE ISN’T
PERFECT, HARVARD PROFESSOR DR.
DYLAN SAYS THE WAY TO MAKE UP
FOR THAT FAILURE RATE IS
REPEATED TESTING.
80% SUCCESS RATE MEANS 20%
AREN’T CAUGHT.
IS THAT GOOD ENOUGH?
>> THAT DEFINITELY IS GOOD
ENOUGH IF YOU’RE TESTING
FREQUENTLY.
SO IF YOU TEST ONE DAY AND
YOU’RE IN THAT 20% WHERE YOU’RE
MISSED BUT THEN YOU TEST
YOURSELF AGAIN THE NEXT DAY OR
TWO DAYS LATER, THE LIKELIHOOD
OF BEING MISSED BOTH OF THOSE
TIMES IS EXCEEDINGLY LOW.
>> Reporter: THE FDA SAYS
ANTIGEN TEST WILLS PLAY A
CRITICAL CONTROL IN -- ROLE IN
FIGHTING COVID-19.
EMPLOYEES ARE NOT SIDELINED FOR
DAYS WHILE WAITING FOR RESULTS.
AND NOW YOU GOT A 15 MINUTE
RESULT AND --
>> I’LL BE GOING HOME TONIGHT
AND HAVING DINNER WITH MY
FAMILY.
>> Reporter: BECAUSE YOU ARE?
>> NEGATIVE.
>> Reporter: I TOOK THAT
15-MINUTE TEST.
I AM A LITTLE ANXIOUS.
ASIDE FROM THE GAG REFLEX, IT
WAS EASY.
AND GETTING YOUR INSTANT RESULTS
REDUCES ANXIETY.
SO I’M ALL CLEAR?
>> YOU’RE ALL CLEAR.
>> Reporter: GOOD.
>> YOUR COLORFUL MASK IS
WORKING.
WHERE MIGHT WE SEE THESE TESTS
WIDELY USED FIRST?
>> Reporter: INITIALLY WE’LL
PROBABLY SEE THEM IN WORKPLACES
WHERE PEOPLE GO BACK TO WORK.
AND ALSO AT SCHOOLS.
NOW, THE TEST THAT I TOOK IS NOT
THE ABBOTT TEST.
THAT ONE WE’LL BEGIN SEEING IN
ABOUT 30 DAYS AND THE COST IS