Swiss biopharma firm Roche has been granted emergency approval by US authorities to sell its at-home rapid Covid-19 test starting in January.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/jdp
On Friday, Basel-based Roche announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has granted Emergency Use Authorisation for its at-home rapid test. The tests will be made available over-the-counter at pharmacies and retailers throughout the United States starting in January 2022.
“The Covid-19 pandemic continues to shed light on the critically important role that rapid self-testing plays in empowering individuals to protect their personal health and the health of their families and communities,” said Thomas Schinecker, CEO, Roche Diagnostics, in a press statementExternal link.
The Covid-19 At-Home Test uses a nasal swab sample to enable individuals to self-test at home and receive results in about 20 minutes for coronavirus and all known variants of concern, including Omicron.
The at-home tests or “self tests” have been widely used in Switzerland since this spring. For a period of time, a certain number of them were available to the population at no-cost. Studies of the accuracy of the results vary with some showing that the test detects positive cases when there is a high viral loadExternal link. One study from the University of Bern showed that the tests picked up 44% of symptom-free cases that were positive through a PCR test.
The company has a distribution agreement with SD Biosensor who has also been involved in the launch of a range of Covid tests. A key consideration for the authorisation, writes Roche, was its ability to deliver large quantities of tests and ramp up manufacturing to meet future demands. In a statement, the company said “it has the capacity to produce tens of millions of tests per month to help support the pandemic response”.
Study: high pollen concentrations increase blood pressure
This content was published on
A high concentration of pollen can increase blood pressure in allergy sufferers, according to a Swiss study. The effect is much more pronounced in women and people who are overweight.
New asylum regulations come into effect in Switzerland
This content was published on
Several asylum-related changes come into effect in Switzerland on June 1 aimed at improving the employment and housing situations of refugees.
Swiss unions call for CHF5,000 monthly salary for qualified apprentices
This content was published on
All workers who have completed an apprenticeship should earn at least CHF5,000 per month, the Swiss Trade Union Federation said on Friday.
Flooding risks in parts of Switzerland and Germany after heavy rains
This content was published on
There is a significant risk of flooding on the River Rhine from Lake Constance to Basel and on the Thur River in canton Thurgau in eastern Switzerland.
Switzerland to intensify border checks during sporting events
This content was published on
In the context of events including the European Football Championships and the summer Olympics, border security will be increased.
Integration of Credit Suisse into UBS now complete
This content was published on
Credit Suisse AG was formally integrated into UBS AG on Friday, with the former being subsequently deleted from Canton Zurich's commercial register.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Covid-19: 740,000 tests in reserve now unusable
This content was published on
The PCR tests, bought last spring as part of an emergency reserve, have expired, costing the authorities millions of francs in losses.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.