The US city of Detroit is set to be the first city in the country to deploy the new five-minute COVID-19 test kits developed by medical devices company Abbott Labs.

Mike Duggan, Mayor of Detroit, recently announced that the test will be available to first responders. He said the goal is to test the first responders who are self-isolated and have not yet tested positive for the coronavirus.

As per recent reports, the city of Detroit received the five-minute tests from Abbott Labs on April 1, 2020. These tests are expected to be available for use within the next 24 hours.

These new test kits from Abbot Labs have been authorized for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is basically a lab-in-a-box system that is approximately the size of a small kitchen appliance. These kits could be deployed and used faster compared to other methods considering the small size and rapid test results.

Detroit is among the many US cities experiencing a significant impact of the novel coronavirus. Recent statistics suggest that the counties around the city include 81 percent of Michigan’s 7,615 cases. It has  also come to the fore through sources familiar with the development that over 20 percent of the 2,500-strong police force has been quarantined.

Abbot Labs recently mentioned in a tweet that it is making these tests available this week in an urgent care facility in the country where the company already has instrumentation. The company said it already has the largest molecular point-of-care footprint in the country, and is widely available across urgent care centers, doctor’s offices, emergency rooms, and other healthcare facilities.

Abbot labs is expected to manufacture up to 5 million tests in April, including both traditional lab tests and the new rapid tests. The FDA had authorized both tests for emergency use last month.

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/01/detroit-to-be-first-to-deploy-abbott-labs-5-minute-covid-19-test-mayor-says/