FluroTest Systems Ltd. Releases White Paper on the Evolving Role of Antigen Testing in the COVID-19 Pandemic Response

CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FluroTech Ltd. (TSXV: TEST) (OTCQB: FLURF), (“FluroTech” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce that FluroTest Systems Ltd. (“FluroTest”) today released a white paper titled “The Evolving Role of Antigen Testing in the COVID-19 Pandemic Response.”

The report reviews the two basic types of diagnostic tests exist for SARS-CoV-2 virus detection, for which the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs):

• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests—also referred to as reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) tests—use a laboratory-based molecular approach to detect genetic material (ribonucleic acid, or RNA) from the virus in a nasal or throat swab or in saliva.
  
  
• Antigen tests, which may be performed at the point of care, detect specific proteins on or within the virus by testing a nasal swab or saliva sample.

While both provide diagnostic value and serve specific functions in the management of the pandemic, their relative roles and utility may be changing as innovations are introduced and test performance, capacity, and accessibility increase.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) has acknowledged the vital role of antigen tests in the overall response to COVID-19, correctly characterizing them as rapid, point-of-care tests with high scalability. Given this, enhancing the accuracy of antigen testing has become a priority, and attempts to increase the sensitivity and utility of these tests have borne fruit.

The white paper chronicles recent developments in antigen testing as well as the importance of testing frequency in COVID-19 surveillance, notably frequent rapid testing of asymptomatic (i.e., potentially pre-symptomatic) individuals.

White paper may be obtained via download here: Link Here   URL: https://docsend.com/view/69uxmm2p6s95n968

“The ability of existing COVID-19 diagnostic tests to identify active infections early, inform infection control measures, and prevent outbreaks—especially in closed congregate settings such as nursing homes and correctional facilities—is largely dependent upon the frequency of testing,” noted Dr. Mauricio Arias, R&D Director and Senior Scientist of FluroTech Ltd. “The benefits only increased when higher frequency testing models are deployed in cases with higher community transmission rate and higher infectiousness.”