Finally, Some Good News on Coronavirus Testing
Emergency approval of a new and faster coronavirus test from Roche is a positive, but more tools are needed.
Approval of a new lab test will help the U.S. address a dangerous backlog.
Photogapher: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg
The U.S. woke up to its first good coronavirus testing news in a while Friday, after weeks of hearing about nothing but delays and dangerously inadequate capacity.
The Food and Drug Administration announced an emergency authorization of a Roche Holding AG test that can screen patients substantially faster than existing options. It's good news for Roche — the approval sent shares some 7% higher after a mostly down week — as well as for America's COVID-19 response. Once these tests are up and running, they should begin to help the U.S. catch up on a dangerous backlog and give more people the information and care they need.