April 23, 2020 While overall testing capacity of any kind remains far short of meeting demand, antibody blood tests would provide additional data on the spread of the novel coronavirus, and results showing immunity could be used to give people an all-clear to leave quarantine and return to work. Their accuracy would, of course, have … Read more
April 21, 2020 The serological test — which uses a few drops of blood drawn from a vein and dropped into a device containing a small strip, similar to a combination of a blood glucose test and a home pregnancy exam — detects two different types of antibodies produced by the body to fight off the … Read more
April 16, 2020 A separate method, known as a serological test, would search for relevant antibodies in a person’s bloodstream, for evidence that the body produced an immune response to the disease. This could be able to determine who has had and overcome an infection in the past — and could allow people to exit … Read more
“It got to us on time, so that was the most important thing,” said Doug Wilson, an executive vice president for LifeNet Health, which runs the Seattle-area operation that processed the tissue. That high-profile event was dismissed as an anomaly; however, a new analysis of transplant data finds that a startling number of lifesaving organs … Read more
April 07, 2020 “Our vision since day one has been to build seamless technology that helps providers more accurately detect heart disease, the leading killer in the world, by putting the ears of a cardiologist in any clinician’s stethoscope,” Eko co-founder and CEO Connor Landgraf said in a statement. The afib and heart murmur offerings … Read more
April 02, 2020 The device starts with a real, biological heart, which is chemically preserved and wrapped in a flexible, robotic matrix of artificial muscles that simulate its contractions. Using a series of inflating and deflating air pockets, which look a little like bubble wrap, the robotic heart muscle can flex and beat the same … Read more
March 31, 2020 Last year, Apple’s Heart Study found that the watch could accurately detect atrial fibrillation, the most common type of irregular heartbeat, according to a study that explored the role of wearable devices in identifying potential heart problems. Atrial fibrillation increases the risk of stroke more than fivefold, according to the American Heart … Read more
March 26, 2020 The co-founder of the Alibaba Group — which encompasses the international online retail giant Alibaba as well as cloud computing subsidiaries and other tech offerings — made the announcement on Twitter, saying it was currently preparing the shipment. “Drawing from my own country’s experience, speedy and accurate testing and adequate personal protective … Read more
March 24, 2020 Dozens of blood drives have been canceled, and regular donors are no-shows, industry officials said, especially in states like Washington and California where the virus is spreading more broadly within communities and health officials are urging residents to avoid public gatherings to reduce risk. As of the beginning of March, the crisis … Read more
March 19, 2020 Until now, the test — a real-time RT-PCR panel that searches for traces of viral RNA in nasal or oral swab — could only be used to evaluate samples shipped to the CDC’s own labs, slowing the (FDA) Agency’s turnaround time in responding to the spread of the disease. FDA Commissioner Stephen … Read more