Abbott Labs is pushing back on claims its 15-minute rapid tests for COVID-19 are inaccurate. The FDA is now investigating and has issued a warning. The F-D-A issued an alert stating that about a third to nearly half of people tested who have the coronavirus come back negative with the rapid test. In a statement Abbott Labs decries the NYU study claiming the rapid tests, touted by the White House which has recently had an outbreak of cases are falsely clearing patients of infection.
The FDA issued an alert warning the public that Abbott Laboratories’ rapid Covid-19 tests may deliver inaccurate results https://t.co/eGOE4D6iqP by @rachsandl pic.twitter.com/O90SXtF2qm
— Forbes (@Forbes) May 15, 2020
The alert comes before the study has undergone peer review. Abbott said in a statement that its results could be missing up to half of positive cases. The company refuted the New York University study. The company points to a Washington state in a test of 1000 subjects 91% of positive tests were correct and 100% of negative tests were correct. Abbott says while the ID NOW test isn’t perfect it’s delivering reliable results, and is an “important tool” to help reduce the risk of people contracting the virus