A device being used to test staff for coronavirus at the White House is spotty, at best, and sometimes gives false negatives.
A new analysis by New York University says ID NOW might miss nearly half of all positive infections, though maker Abbott Laboratories said its own rate of false negatives it has shared with the Food and Drug Administration is 2%.
ID NOW can provide results in less than 13 minutes.
"In communications with the users of the test, it is performing as expected," Darcy Ross said in a statement to The Hill. "ID NOW is an important tool that delivers information where it's needed most — taking the fight to the frontlines so that public health officials and healthcare providers can make critical decisions."
The New York Times earlier this week said a study in April found the test showed a false negative in around 15% of cases.
The NYU analysis found Abbott's test missed more than 48% of positive cases when using samples collected with "dry" nasal swabs.
The ID NOW test was granted emergency authorization by the Food and Drug Administration in late March. Abbott later warned its tests can produce false negatives in certain conditions, including when using samples that are dissolved in liquid.
White House staffers are being tested more frequently after Mike Pence's press secretary and one of President Donald Trump's personal valets tested positive for COVID-19.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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