Abbott has earned a CE mark for its Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device

Abbott has earned a CE mark for its Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device to detect the SARS-COV-2 virus in those aged fifteen years and younger, based on a first-of-its-kind study focusing on the success of a rapid antigen test on children. The test received its CE mark to be used on symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals under the supervision of trained professionals. In addition, the test with this performance data has been added to the World Health Organisation’s Emergency Use Listing.

Lead investigator of the study, Head of Molecular Virology Laboratory and Professor of Genetics, Federal University, Rio de Janeiro, Amilcar Tanuir, M.D, PhD, stated: “As schools implement testing protocols as part of their COVID prevention strategies, it is important to have access to tests that have been proven to work well on children. The results of this study show that Abbott’s Panbio rapid antigen test does a good job of detecting the virus in children under the age of fifteen.”

General Manager of Abbott’s rapid diagnostics business in the UK and Ireland, Sam Lloyd, stated: “We need to help protect the health of children, teachers and other staff from the risk of virus spread. We now have science-based evidence that Abbott’s Panbio rapid antigen test can reliably detect active virus in children, thereby enabling earlier identification and self-quarantine of positive cases and of other people who have been exposed.”