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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com News
Abbott Laboratories, a $132 billion leader in global healthcare, boasts a portfolio of lifechanging technologies spanning the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritional and branded generic medicines. Abbott is globally recognized for providing dynamic testing solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Through its agreement with Abbott, OHS has secured an option to purchase up to six million of these branded rapid antigen tests, and has negotiated a cost that would allow the test to be administered for a price that is affordable for all Bahamians and residents", says I DHS CEO, Dr. Tyneil Cargill.
Dr. Cargill, a seasoned Bahamian physician who has been working on the frontlines since the pandemic, shared that OHS - a consortium of medical, IT, legal, and business professionals - was birthed out of a deeply held moral conviction and civic obligation to provide a viable, affordable, reliable test to combat the spread of COVID-19 in The Bahamas.
"The ability to provide The Bahamas with a consistent and reliable supply chain of affordable and world accredited rapid antigen testing is critical in keeping the economy open," said Dr. Cargill.
"Singular testing won't help in keeping the economy open. We must continually test our citizens, residents and visitors to sustain an economic recovery. This is why we have secured access to millions of PANDBIO TM Rapid Antigen Tests to assist the government in keeping the economy open and keeping our front-line workers and citizens safe. This is now standard protocol all around the world."
PANBIO™ COVID-19 Ag RAPID TEST DEVICE is one of only two "point of use" rapid test kits which have received World Health Organization (WHO) pre-qualification. The testing device requires no instrumentation and provides results in 15 minutes, making it a valuable tool for mass testing in decentralized settings. Abbott's PAN BIO™ rapid antigen test has received emergency use authorization (EUA) from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On October 7th, 2020, Health Canada announced that it will be purchasing 20 million units of Abbott's PAN BIO™ COVID-19 rapid antigen test to administer to Canadian citizens.
Canada's Minister of Public Services and Procurement Hon. Anita Anand said: "The Government of Canada continues to move quickly to ensure that Canadians have access to the most effective and efficient COVID-19 testing solutions. This new agreement with Abbott Rapid Diagnostics adds to our growing roster of rapid tests, which will support our healthcare professionals in targeting and responding to new outbreaks of the virus."
This portable, credit card-sized device detects active coronavirus infections, and provides rapid, reliable results at a low, reasonable price to the consumer. This relationship with Abbott Laboratories includes licensing and support on the world's most dynamic and intuitive COVID-19 tracking and tracing software - necessary in identifying and helping slow the spread of the virus.
Moreover, this technology will allow organizations to verify patient data giving clearance for entry into places such as airports, workplaces, schools, churches, and restaurants. This combination of life-changing technology, coupled with the competence of trained professionals to administer the same, OHS is confident this approach will attack the pandemic on all critical fronts - speed, simplicity, accessibility, affordability, and reliability.
Through its "Partners in the fight against COVID" program, OHS commits to strategic partnerships with hospitals, medical facilities, doctor's offices, and pharmacies throughout The Bahamas, making testing accessible and convenient at a fraction of the current cost of polymerise chain reaction (PCR) testing. OHS is currently waiting for Government approval to bring this revolutionary solution for the country so that businesses can remain open, so the amount of positive cases can decrease because of efficient testing and contact tracing communication.
This rapid antigen test was designed to be used as a screening and follow-up tool to the PCR test. Clinical trials of PAN BIO™ demonstrated a 94.1% sensitivity and 99.8% specificity in people suspected of having been exposed to COVID-19 or showing symptoms within a seven-day period. More specifically, this test screens for protein molecules that determine if the individual is infectious or not.
The PCR test has become the dominant way of testing during the pandemic. However, according to Chairman of A.I.D. Ltd. and local businessman Harold L. Watson, "The PCR test is more useful for confirming the presence of the infection. However, it is my understanding that the test is so sensitive that long after an individual is free of the virus, they are still producing positive test results. Because of this, hundreds of workers who could have returned to work were forced to stay at home, even though they were fully recovered. With the PANBIO™ rapid antigen test, businesses will be able to remove employees for quarantine, and protect the environment much more quickly."
As these antigen tests are "point of care" screening tests, they are subject to counterfeit and black-market activity. Dr. Cargill has concerns of an influx of inferior branded tests being introduced to the market with low quality control standards, and inconsistent supply chains that do not have the necessary validations. He cautions the need to be extremely vigilant on the importation of these antigen tests. Individuals may attempt to sell these tests without appropriate government authorization or oversight and administered without professional healthcare supervision.
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