Ortho, Eurofins Lay Out Plans for High-Throughput COVID-19 Antibody Blood Testing
While most antibody blood tests, including the one officially authorized by the FDA last week, have so far focused on providing rapid results at the point-of-care—by using a small test strip and a fingerprick, like a blood sugar test—others are working to deploy high-throughput versions capable of running hundreds of tests an hour, according to a Fiercebiotech report.
This would allow centralized, lab-based diagnostic hardware to process blood samples at scale, screening patients for previous infections and possible immunity in volumes similar to how molecular testing machines check swabs for active signs of the novel coronavirus. Global testing company Eurofins announced it will begin offering large-scale, blood-based COVID-19 antibody testing in Massachusetts through its Viracor and Boston Heart Diagnostics subsidiaries.