New York City will use a self-administered test to diagnose COVID-19, a move meant to reduce the amount of exposure healthcare workers have to the disease, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. The new test involves a shorter swab, which patients administer themselves, and a saliva sample. New York’s eight Health and Hospitals testing sites will be the first to participate.
New York is racing to expand its testing capabilities, which would be key to reopening the hardest-hit city’s economy. The new plan should allow at least 10,000 tests to be administered weekly, de Blasio said.
The new test offers safety benefits. The standard COVID-19 test involves an invasive nasal swab that often causes patients to cough or sneeze – which puts healthcare workers at greater risk of exposure. Self-administered tests can reduce that risk.
Source: Crain’s New York Business
