Mayo Clinic develops test that detects novel coronavirus
[KSTP]
Mayo Clinic on Thursday announced it has developed a test that can detect the virus that causes COVID-19.
The test, known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS CoV-2), Molecular Detection, has been fully validated and will be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for review and emergency use authorization, Mayo Clinic said.
The hope is that the test can help ease some of the burdens on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state public health labs. It also could allow for faster results, with the turnaround time possibly taking less than 24 hours, according to Mayo Clinic.
The company also said it has been in close contact with officials from the Minnesota Department of Health and the CDC, and all positive tests will be sent to MDH or CDC for follow-up testing.
There is no vaccine for COVID-19 at this time. Anyone with symptoms is urged to self-quarantine for 14 days to limit the spread of the virus.
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the CDC, and the cases can range from mild to severe.