• Self-test kits will be sold in pharmacies and retail stores directly to consumers to enable frequent, convenient testing at home, work, or school with results in as early as 15 minutes
Port Of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, July 20th 2022 — Abbott, a global healthcare company, announced it has received authorization from the Ministry of Public Health in Trinidad & Tobago for over-the-counter sale of its Panbio™ COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test to aid in the detection of active COVID-19 infection. With this approval, Abbott brings its non-prescription, rapid antigen nasal self-test to the public for use in people with or without symptoms.
Access to self-tests supports Trinidad & Tobago’s need for frequent testing at home, as local communities, businesses, and recreational activities reopen.
"To protect public health, we need to remain vigilant in identifying and slowing the spread of the virus through frequent testing," said Dr. Oscar Guerra, medical director at Abbott. "Authorization of our Panbio COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test will make it easier and faster for people to test when they need to know their infection status, while reducing the burden of testing on the healthcare system."
Although the number of positive cases remain below previous waves, the rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases is a reminder that the pandemic is far from over and we must remain vigilant.
As the pandemic evolves, the SARS-COV-2 virus will continue to mutate and have an impact, particularly among people who are unvaccinated, under-vaccinated as well as on vulnerable populations. COVID-19 is still a significant public health challenge and it’s going to continue to be for the foreseeable future.
Simple, reliable self-testing in 15 minutes to curb the spread of infection
Frequent testing makes it possible for people to know their infection status when it matters most. Self-testing has been authorized in throughout the world and is widely used throughout North America, parts of Latin America, Europe and Asia.
Using the Panbio COVID-19 Antigen Self-Testis simple, fast, and reliable. People need to perform a minimally invasive nasal swab and a few of additional steps following the Instructions for Use. Children under 14 should be supervised by an adult. The test provides results in 15 minutes, no instrumentation required.
Available at pharmacies and retail stores (in single packages), all materials required to perform the test, such as instructions, swabs, test devices and reagents, are provided in the box. Reporting of a positive result to health authorities is strongly encouraged.
Panbio delivers reliable performance for adults and children
Panbio COVID-19 Antigen is one of the mostly widely studied and used rapid antigen tests in the world.
In clinical evaluations with self-test users, the test correctly identified 95.2% of positive samples and 100% of negative samples. All samples were confirmed positive or negative by the Panbio COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test Device (Nasopharyngeal).
About Panbio COVID-19 Antigen Tests
Panbio COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Self-Test is a lateral flow assay for rapid, qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus. A nasal swab is used for collection of specimens from individuals. Test results are delivered in as early as 15 minutes with no instrumentation.
Negative results must be combined with clinical observations, patient history and epidemiological information. Negative results do not preclude COVID-19 infection and cannot be used as the sole basis for treatment or other management decisions.
The Panbio COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test Device is CE-Marked and has received World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Use Listing for use on asymptomatic individuals and for self-collection of samples using a nasal swab.
About Abbott Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 113,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.
Connect with us at www.latam.abbott/, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/abbott-/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews.