3M and researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have partnered to develop a rapid COVID-19 antigen test designed to function like a pregnancy test, CNBC reported.
Antigen tests work by scanning for proteins that can be found on or inside a virus. They can be processed much more rapidly than more commonly used diagnostic tests, but are typically less sensitive, meaning they can return false negatives.
The FDA has said antigen tests are an important tool to combat the pandemic because they can be made quickly and relatively cheaply and test patients in a variety of settings, CNBC reported.
3M and MIT's test is designed as a paper-based point-of-care test that functions like a pregnancy test, researchers told CNBC. If development goes well, 3M is hoping to make millions of the tests per day. The National Institutes of Health has granted the test a phase 1 approval.
3M and MIT told CNBC their main goal is to make the test accessible for the general public.
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