CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The BayCare Health System says it will provide rapid testing for coronavirus patients this week, according to the hospital's announcement on Wednesday.
BayCare says the new tests, scheduled to start this Thursday, will "greatly reduce the time it takes BayCare hospitals to diagnose patients, enhancing care amid the growing novel coronavirus pandemic."
The hospital says patients will be able to receive positive results in five minutes and negative test results between 13 and 15 minutes.
“We’re thrilled to make this rapid test available to our inpatients across the system,” said Nishant Anand, MD, chief medical officer for BayCare in a press release. “This allows us to test more people and provide faster results for those that need it most.”
BayCare said it is also in the process of having a one-hour test developed by Cepheid, which was recently approved by the FDA, accoring to the hospital's press release.
Soon, BayCare expects to have a one-hour test developed by Cepheid, which was recently approved by the FDA.
Those interested in getting COVID-19 screenings from BayCare can click here to see if they quality. You can also click here for more information on coronavirus tests.