Qiagen Launches Portable COVID-19 Antigen Digital Testing Hub

The rapid evolution of COVID-19 testing in response to the need for speed and mobility continues. One notable development on the antigen testing front is Qiagen’s U.S. rollout of a portable digital test called QIAreachSARS-CoV-2 Antigen Test that laboratories can use to detect SARS-CoV-2 antigens in people with active infections in two to15 minutes. The company announced its intention to launch the test back in September. The Qiagen Test Qiagen, which had been targeted for acquisition by Thermo Fisher Scientific before the pandemic and massive spike in demand for Qiagen’s COVID-19 testing products intervened, developed the new antigen in partnership with Australian digital-diagnostics company, Ellume based on the hub-and-stick system the companies originally developed for use in rapid tuberculosis diagnostics. The QIAreach Antigen test contains a rechargeable battery for eight hours of remote use and can connect to laboratory software to record results. The digital device automates and standardizes analysis of the results, without requiring laboratory staff to manually inspect and record the outcome of each sample. Previous tests of clinical samples have shown a false-negative rate of 10 percent, while delivering zero false positives. The hub can also process antigen and antibody tests side-by-side. According to Qiagen, the QIAreach Antigen […]