CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (WHDH) - In an effort to make testing for the coronavirus more effective and more convenient, a Cambridge-based start-up company is developing a new rapid test — capable of detecting, so-called, virus super-spreaders.
E25Bio got its name because it was founded in the E-25 building on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s campus. Now, they are working to develop a rapid test for the coronavirus that could help people across the country know if they need to take extra measures to protect themselves and others.
“It’s a paper strip. The way you do it, is you take a swab, put it inside a buffer — a little liquid, and then you put that paper strip inside of there,” spokesman Carlos-Henri Ferré said. “You wait 15 minutes, and you have your visual result.”
The company said it will be submitting it to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval soon.
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They believe quick tests like this could be the key to getting back to normal.
So the benefits here are affordability, scalability, and having rapid results. And the idea is to know within 15 minutes if you’re infected or not. Or knowing if someone who’s a potential high viral risk, meaning a super spreader, and separating them is very important,” Ferré said.
If the start-up receives approval from the FDA, E25Bio said it would be able to produce millions of tests per month in a matter of weeks which they say could stop COVID-19 in its tracks.
“I think a test like this can be beneficial as a screening device where you can test repeatedly, frequently, and effectively monitor a population, and effectively stop disease from spreading,” Ferré said.
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