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BioLife Sciences (OTCPK: BLFE) Announces Immediate Commercial Availability of a 10-Minute, Ultra-Rapid, Health Canada Approved, COVID-19 Point of Care Test
BioLife Sciences (OTCPK: BLFE) Announces Immediate Commercial Availability of a 10-Minute, Ultra-Rapid, Health Canada Approved, COVID-19 Point of Care Test.
About this update from Biolife Sciences Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\n TORONTO, ONTARIO, Oct. 26, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire – With the high demand for Covid-19 testing, BioLife Sciences (OTCPK: BLFE) is pleased to announce the availability of the FebriDx® - an ultra-rapid, disposable, point-of-care test device that identifies a clinically significant Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) and differentiates viral from bacterial causes. Approved by Health Canada for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus testing and other viral and bacterial infections, the test itself takes only 30 seconds and provides non-invasive test results for ARIs within ten (10) minutes. The FebriDx®, available from BioLife Sciences, can be administered by trained professionals at places like: pharmacies, walk-in clinics, long-term care homes, workplaces, and doctors' offices without the need for a laboratory to determine if someone is infected with the virus. A healthcare worker performs a fingerstick blood sample during a patient’s initial workup. Upon generating the results, a treatment plan can be established during the patient’s initial visit or on-site, as opposed to waiting for 24 hours or longer. In the event of a positive COVID-19 test, rapid triaging can begin to successfully isolate patients and prevent further spread of the infection. Currently, the majority of COVID-19 testing falls into two categories: polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology and antigen assays, with the PCR test being the standard. Antigen assays are faster and cheaper than PCR tests; however, they are not as sensitive and as such, not as accurate. The FebriDX®  triage test does not replace the standard PCR test for COVID-19; however, what it does do is allow for immediate results for any bacterial and viral infections including, but not limited to, COVID-19.  FebriDX® testing provides accurate results within ten minutes compared with 1.7 hours with PCR testing and 24 hours with laboratory testing. Additionally, the majority of tests are currently limited to the detection of a single group of pathogens (COVID-19) and cannot distinguish between alternative viral or bacterial infections which may have similar symptoms as COVID-19. “Adding the FebriDX is a significant and timely addition to our product line,” said Mr. De Four, CEO of BioLife Sciences. “The FebriDx® test w...