Rapid diagnostic test for COVID-19 to go into production in July

Taipei, April 13 (CNA) A rapid diagnostic test for COVID-19 developed by Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is scheduled to go into production in July, a Taiwanese official said Monday.

The ITRI has developed a prototype for the testing device, which can produce results in under an hour at a 90-percent accuracy rate, Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Chuan-neng (林全能) said at a press conference.

The nucleic acid test is designed to screen patients who are in the incubation period, meaning those who have contracted the disease but have not yet displayed symptoms, Lin said.

Weighing about 600 grams, the device is likely the smallest rapid diagnostic test for COVID-19 that is under development, according to the official.
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Clinical trials of the rapid testing device are scheduled to be completed by the end of April, with trial production to commence in June, and mass production to begin in July, Lin said.

Read more: Focus Taiwan