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– Southeast Asia’s most populous nation1 expands use of fastest available molecular point-of-care technology and an antigen rapid test device that needs just a nasal swab, to detect active coronavirus infections at massive scale
– Delivering reliable results in minutes, Abbott’s COVID-19 testing options demonstrate high specificity, sensitivity and can be used by healthcare professionals in a variety of settings
– Indonesia has access to several of Abbott’s COVID-19 testing technologies, including the m2000™ RT PCR, lab-based and rapid testing options for antibody testing
JAKARTA, Indonesia, Feb. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — As the world’s fourth most populous country2 scales up COVID-19 testing efforts, the availability of two additional testing technologies is expected to provide impetus to reliable testing of active infections and supporting public health strategies, including contact tracing.
Abbott’s (NYSE: ABT) latest introductions in Indonesia include the Panbio™ COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device for the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in people suspected of having COVID-19 and the ID NOW™ COVID-19 test platform for the fastest available molecular point-of-care detection of the novel coronavirus.
In 2020, Abbott shipped 400 million COVID-19 tests world-wide and over the coming months, is making millions of tests available for Indonesia.
Quick, Reliable COVID-19 Tests with just a Nasal Swab
The Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device is a lateral flow assay for rapid, qualitative detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and is a reliable, affordable, portable and scalable option. Panbio COVID-19 Ag is CE-Marked and has received WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL).
Individuals now have the option of a nasal swab for collection of specimens, making the process less invasive and more convenient. Abbott’s rapid antigen test – which is authorized for use by healthcare professionals – requires no instrumentation and provides results as early as 15 minutes, making it a valuable tool for testing at massive scale in a variety of community settings. Negative results do not preclude COVID-19 infection and cannot be used as the sole basis for treatment or other management decisions.
The Panbio COVID-19 Ag test has been widely deployed in Europe, the Americas and Africa. In coordination with the Global Fund, the World Health Organization and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Abbott continues to make Panbio rapid antigen tests available to low- and middle-income countries.
Results from a clinical study by Abbott of 585 samples demonstrated that Panbio COVID-19 Ag test has a 91.4% sensitivity and 99.8% specificity on people who were suspected of exposure to COVID-19 or had symptoms in the last seven days3.
“Abbott continues to be singularly focused on bringing a range of reliable and convenient COVID-19 tests to Indonesia as quickly as possible to help address this pandemic,” said Sanjeev Johar, divisional vice president, Abbott’s rapid diagnostics business in Asia Pacific. “Our pioneering technologies provide fast, accurate point-of-care COVID-19 testing and help scale diagnostic capability, bringing it closer to millions of Indonesians.”
Detecting Active Coronavirus Infections Using ID NOW
Abbott’s ID NOW platform provides the fastest available molecular point-of-care detection of novel coronavirus, delivering results in 13 minutes or less, in a wide range of healthcare settings. As a point-of-care test to be used only by healthcare professionals or trained operators, the ID NOW COVID-19 test uses a naso-pharyngeal or throat swab (sample) and should be used near the patient. The swab should be placed directly into instrument, where it delivers fast and reliable results when compared to lab-based molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) instruments.
The size of a small toaster, the ID NOW platform is small, lightweight (2.9 kg) and portable. It uses molecular technology, which is valued by clinicians and the scientific community for its high degree of accuracy. The ID NOW instrument detects the active presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus by amplifying the virus’ genomic structure (RNA) hundreds of millions of times. A positive result means that an individual has an active COVID-19 infection and is likely to be contagious and at risk of spreading the virus to others.
By detecting positive results quickly in convenient places where people show up for care, healthcare providers can immediately prescribe the best course of care or treatment and infected individuals can self-quarantine to reduce further spread.
“The need for reliable COVID-19 testing with quick results continues to be crucial in fighting the pandemic in Indonesia. ID NOW answers both the need of healthcare providers and the public. As Indonesia’s largest private healthcare network, we can manage emergencies, urgent care and surgeries faster and safer for both patients and healthcare workers in 40 hospital units across 26 cities,” says Caroline Riady, chief executive officer, Siloam Hospitals Group. “Siloam Hospitals continue to bring international quality care with Abbott’s ID NOW, supporting offices, public spaces, places of worship as they open and various social communities, as they continue to become more active.”
In an interim post-authorization study evaluating 1,003 people, the ID NOW COVID-19 rapid test achieved overall performance of 93.3% positive agreement (sensitivity) and 98.4% negative agreement (specificity).
About Abbott’s Diagnostics Leadership
Abbott has long been a global leader in infectious disease testing, including the development of the first HIV test. The company created a Global Surveillance Program 25 years ago to monitor HIV and hepatitis viruses and identify mutations to ensure the company’s tests remain up to date. Abbott also has a long-standing discovery program that identifies new or unknown pathogens and develops tests to address these new threats.
About Abbott
Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 109,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.
Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/abbott-/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews and @AbbottGlobal.
1 https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/south-eastern-asia-population/; accessed on January 30, 2021
2 https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/indonesia/overview; accessed on January 30, 2021
3 Performance data based on updated CE Mark and WHO EUL submission