New York, USA (CU)_ To increase the development of an at-home phone-based COVID-19 test, the US government is funding $231.8 million. As per the contract, the Australia-based test-maker Ellume will supply 8.5 million tests for domestic use. After launching the plant in the US, the Australian firm has planned to manufacture a minimum of 500,000 test kits per day by the end of 2021. At present, Ellume is manufacturing approximately 100,000 test kits daily.
In December, the Food and Drug Administration awarded emergency clearance for Ellume’s test. The one-time use test, which costs $30, will evaluate a nasal swab and send the results to an app in about 15 minutes, and it is claimed to be 95% precise. According to the reports, Ellume’s test is the only one that is accessible over the counter and can also be self-administered by the US residents. In an attempt to make it easier for people to decide if they are positive to COVID-19 and to prevent interaction with others, health experts have insisted for extended at-home testing. However, this will take some time for production and expansion.
Ellume Chief Executive Officer Sean Parsons said, “We want to help the U.S. reopen as safely and as quickly as possible. We are prioritizing our partnership with the U.S. government to mobilize tests quickly.” Andy Slavitt, a senior adviser to the White House’s Covid-19 effort said, “Making easier-to-use tests available to every American is a high priority with obvious benefits”. Slavitt added, “Manufacturing more tests should bring down costs, a chicken-and-egg problem that I think we have taken a step to solve today, by creating mass production so that we will have tens of millions of these tests out there”.
Most procedures involve a nasal swab test done by health practitioners and are sent to laboratories for review. The other tests that can produce results in about 15 minutes have previously been approved by the FDA. At present, many airlines and countries are demanding proof for negative COVID-19 test before allowing visitors to fly or enter into the country. This new test kit will enable the users to conduct a test at home with fast outcomes and will make it easier for individuals to travel if they need to.
