UC Davis Health has rolled out a groundbreaking, highly accurate test that can check for both COVID-19 and flu viruses at the same time, returning “gold-standard” results in 20 minutes.

UC Davis Health is the first in the region and among the first in the nation to use these rapid, combined molecular tests at the point of care. It was one of the institutions that helped evaluate the accuracy of the tests so they could gain emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is also the first UC health system to use the test.

“This will change how COVID-19 testing is performed in emergency or urgent care settings,” said Nam Tran, professor of laboratory medicine and UC Davis Health site principal investigator for the clinical validation of the new test. “It can be administered right away by doctors or nurses at a patient’s bedside.”

One valuable aspect is the unique combination of accuracy and speed – qualities that have been somewhat of an either/or choice in COVID-19 testing. Just as important is the ease in administering a single test to detect COVID-19 and both A and B flu viruses. This is crucial with COVID-19 cases on the rise again and flu season looming more dangerously than ever.

“The new rapid test is aimed toward the emergency department or clinics when doctors and other healthcare providers need to make fast treatment decisions,” Tran said.

UC Davis Health, like many other institutions, continues to work with limited supplies of reagents (the chemicals that trigger reactions in tests), so the combined tests will be limited for now to the emergency department or situations when speed is critical. As the supply increases, the testing will continue to expand.

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