Care3 News & Events
BREAKING: FDA authorizes first rapid ‘point-of-care’ coronavirus test - Washington Post
The Food and Drug Administration late Friday approved the first coronavirus test that can be conducted entirely at the point of care for a patient — and deliver results in 45 minutes.
FDA authorizes first rapid ‘point-of-care’ test for coronavirus
By
Emily Rauhala and
March 21, 2020 at 9:10 a.m. PDT
The Washington Post is providing this story for free so that all readers have access to this important information about the coronavirus.
8:58 a.m.
The Food and Drug Administration late Friday approved the first coronavirus test that can be conducted entirely at the point of care for a patient — and deliver results in 45 minutes.
The FDA granted “emergency use authorization” to Cepheid, a California company that makes a rapid molecular test for the coronavirus. Getting results in 45 minutes would be far quicker than the current situation in which tests typically are sent to central reference labs that can take days to deliver results.
The FDA authorization covers “patient care settings,” including doctors’ offices, but initially will be used primarily by hospitals and emergency departments, the company said. It added that it doesn’t require a nasal swab; nasal aspirate can be used.
In a video on the company’s website, David Persing, Cepheid’s chief medical and technology officer, said the test will “help alleviate the pressure” that the covid-19 has placed on health-care facilities. The new test, he said, will help doctors quickly decide which treatment is appropriate for which patients.
The test has been designed to operate on the company’s automated GeneXpert Systems. There are about 23,000 of those systems throughout the world, of which 5,000 are in the United States, according to the company.
The firm plans to begin selling the test at the end of the month.
By Laurie McGinley
Why we're not overreacting to the coronavirus, in one chart - VOX
…there’s a simple answer to the question: No, we’re not overreacting.
If anyone tries to tell you that everyone is overreacting to COVID-19 or coronavirus spread, refer them here.
To someone who hasn’t been following the pandemic’s spread closely, the drastic measures indeed might seem like an overreaction. After all, around 13,000 cases and 200 deaths — as of Thursday — in a country of 330 million doesn’t seem that bad. Is it really worth shutting down the economy, a measure that will of course have horrific costs of its own, for such a small toll?
But the numbers mask what’s really causing experts to worry: The coronavirus’s trajectory is putting us on a course of many, many more cases and many, many more deaths unless we do something drastic.
In other words, there’s a simple answer to the question: No, we’re not overreacting.
Read more: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/3/20/21179040/coronavirus-us-italy-not-overreacting
Announcing COVID-19 Tracking and Contact Tracing
UPDATE: Simply download the latest version of the Karen app (iOS and Android) and you can opt in to COVID-19 Tracking and Tracing automatically!
Coronavirus (COVID-19) has required the world to respond by limiting our interpersonal interactions.
This "social distancing" can reduce the spread of COVID-19 and “flatten the curve” of new cases, but causes other unanticipated challenges for your health and that of your loved ones.
Karen Health is ready to help you meet these challenges.
Introducing Karen Health COVID-19 Tracking & Tracing
Welcome to COVID-19 Tracking and Contact Tracing. All new and existing Karen members have the opportunity to participate in COVID-19 symptom tracking and contact tracing.
Simply download the latest version of the Karen app (iOS and Android) and you can opt in to COVID-19 Tracking and Tracing automatically!
You can invite others who may want to participate even if you are not showing symptoms.
Your COVID-19 Tracking and Tracking Journal includes:
Tracking of Common COVID-19 Symptoms. Every other week over the course of 60 days, you will receive symptom questions. Tap “Enter Value” in the Action Message and select your symptom status: None, Mild, Moderate, or Severe. Tap “View Chart” to see your trends.
Tips. Content includes tips, articles, podcasts, and other information that will help you stay informed and vigilant.
Download now!
COVID-19 Expected to Impact Lives through 2021
The expectation among experts is that we will be dealing with coronavirus through the next YEAR. The time is now to be vigilant about your family health.
Karen is stepping up to help you do just that.
Thank you for taking control of your health with Karen. Download the app and sign up now!