A new, rapid, bedside test for COVID-19 delivers results in less than two hours.<br />UPI reports a new study says such a quick turnaround means appropriate treatment can start earlier for those already hospitalized because of their symptoms.<br />The standard COVID-19 test swabs the patient's nose and uses polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, technology. It typically takes over 20 hours to produce results.<br />The longer patients have to wait for results, the longer COVID-19 positive patients remain in non-COVID wards. That furthers the spread of the disease.<br />The British researchers say the point-of-care test was more than 99% accurate at correctly identifying those positive for the novel coronavirus.
