Local Chemist Helps Develop Rapid COVID-19 Antibody Test

Dr. Greg Chiklis and his team got emergency FDA approval last week for a tool that could be key in the coronavirus crisis. Rapid COVID-19 antibody tests were developed in a Franklin, Massachusetts, lab and can determine whether you’ve been exposed to the virus and how much immunity you may have. Dr. Chiklis says the Chembio DPP COVID-19 IgM/IgG System provides results in 15 minutes from a simple finger stick. He says it’s already available in some hospitals around the region. The hope is that it will help the nation move past this pandemic. So far, only medical professionals can administer the tests, but the goal is to eventually develop a version that untrained users can pick up at a local pharmacy to use by themselves at home.