Industrial conglomerate 3M Company is partnering with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to develop a cheaper, quicker COVID-19 test.
Right now, test results can take anywhere from a few hours to a week. Quest Diagnostics, for instance, said the average turnaround time at its labs is currently seven days.
3M's new test would function more like a pregnancy strip, a rapid paper-based test that could be mass-produced and quickly distributed at the point of care.
"In terms of patient experience, what we're looking to do is create that low-cost, highly-accurate, simple-to-use test that would be accessible to a lot of people," Dr. John Banovetz, chief technology officer for 3M, told Cheddar.
The antigen-based test, which looks at proteins on the virus, would offer a "preliminary view" of a patient's coronavirus status — though ideally, patients would follow up with a doctor, he added.
"Our goal would be a point-of-care test, so maybe it's taken in a doctor's office. Maybe you pick it up at the pharmacy," Banovetz said.
The goal is to start producing tests by the end of summer or early fall. Once manufacturing is rolling, 3M could produce millions of tests per day, according to the company.
As cases surge across the country and many anticipate a second wave in states where the infection rate has dropped off, calls for more testing are growing.
More than 41 million tests have been reported to the CDC, with a 9 percent positivity rate, but the U.S. continues to lag behind other countries by some measures.
In the meantime, the Trump administration is relying on the private sector to meet the demand for tests, putting pressure on companies such as 3M to come up with a solution.
"We're going as quick as we can right now," he said. "Our focus is trying to get that accuracy up and in a way that we know that we can mass-produce it. That's really where 3M can help contribute to this, our ability to be able to commercialize and bring to market new ideas and innovations."
The 2022 County Health Rankings largely found that the pandemic worsened the burdens faced by women, people of color, and in low income brackets. Cheddar News speaks with Sheri Johnson, co-director of County Health Rankings and Roadmaps who breaks down the details.
With National Infertility Awareness Week underway, the fertility and family-building benefits provider for employers, Kindbody, is looking to make a full suite of treatments and care accessible — including for LGBTQ+ patients. Founder and chairwoman Gina Bartasi joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to talk about the importance of infertility awareness, what role employers play in offering benefits, and how to remove the stigma around the fertility conversation. "We have to talk about the patient holistically, not just fertility services, but what can we do from a mental health standpoint to support patients," she said. "Most patients talk about fertility being more stressful than divorce, infertility being more prevalent than cancer or diabetes. So it is our mission, remains our mission, to elevate awareness around infertility, not just [during] National Infertility Awareness Week."
New York City’s geography makes it particularly at risk to the impacts of climate change - like rising seas and subsequent flooding. The city has already experienced the effects of increasingly severe weather. In response, the city is building a plan to protect itself, from flood walls, to levees, to redesigning its coast.
With mask mandates lifted across various parts of the country, healthy indoor air quality in public spaces is more crucial than ever before. According to the CDC, proper ventilation, in addition to other preventative measures, is instrumental to preventing the rapid spread of covid-19 indoors. As the push for higher air quality ramps up, AtmosAir is providing a high-tech solution for cleaner, greener air indoors. Steve Levine, CEO, AtmosAir, joined Cheddar’s Opening Bell to discuss.
Catching you up on what you need to know on April 27, 2022, with Tesla stocks absorbing an initial hit following Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter, Russia pausing its natural gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, NASA's SpaceX Crew-4 mission taking off, and more.
New Mexico is under a state of emergency after flames scorched across 84 square miles. Strong winds fueled 20 wildfires, destroying hundreds of buildings in the state this weekend. New Mexico is just one of several states across the southwest facing severe wildfires. James McMullen, retired California state fire marshal and forensic fire expert, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
SpoonTEK is an eating utensil that uses new technology to enhance flavors. Co-founders Ken and Cameron Davidov join Cheddar News to explain how the high-tech silverware can not only boost taste but also the health of its user.
Tim Brown, research professor at Desert Research Institute and director at the Western Regional Climate Center, joins Cheddar News to discuss the environmental impact of recent wildfires.
Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, the White House announced. That's underscoring the persistence of the highly contagious virus even as the U.S. eases restrictions in a bid to revert to pre-pandemic normalcy.
