California-based lab test manufacturer GenMark Diagnostics announced Thursday that the Food and Drug Administration granted emergency authorization for its rapid molecular test that can distinguish between more than 20 different viruses and bacteria, including the coronavirus.
Flu and Covid-19 patients typically develop similar symptoms early on in the virus, which could make it difficult this flu season for doctors and nurses to diagnose patients and pursue the best treatment. Tests like GenMarkâs that are able to simultaneously screen for the flu, the coronavirus and other pathogens could be crucial to helping hospitals effectively treat Covid-19 and influenza patients this winter, public health specialists say.
