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New coronavirus test is imperfect step toward mass screening

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Posted at 5:09 PM, May 11, 2020
and last updated 2020-05-11 17:09:36-04

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new coronavirus test could be a key but imperfect step toward the kind of mass screening deemed essential to reopening schools and businesses.

The new test is cheaper and quicker than the current standard. Instead of detecting the virus itself, the new test detects proteins that predict infection.

But the new test is not quite the breakthrough sought by top government health officials. It is less accurate than the gold standard test and can only be run on special equipment.

The Food and Drug Administration authorized the new test over the weekend.