The rapid coronavirus test used by the White House may miss nearly half of positive cases, study finds

(Image credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

published 13 May 2020

The rapid coronavirus test used by the White House may not be providing staffers with accurate results, Bloomberg reports.

An unconfirmed study from New York University found that Abbott Laboratories' ID NOW test, whose arrival on the market was the source of great excitement thanks to its ability to deliver results within minutes, missed at least one-third of positive cases detected by rival test Cepheid GeneXpert.

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The White House uses ID NOW to test staffers — some of whom are tested on a daily basis — governors, lawmakers, and reporters who come in close contact with President Trump, Bloomberg notes. There's no evidence the test has missed any cases among those people, and the NYU report like most coronavirus-related studies is still awaiting review, but false negative tests have been a general concern throughout the pandemic. Read more at Bloomberg.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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