Test for Novel Coronavirus Approved for Wide Deployment

The US Food and Drug Administration authorizes the distribution of the 2019-nCoV diagnostic to state health departments and other facilities.

Written byShawna Williams

| 2 min read

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Until this week, healthcare providers in the US who suspected a patient might have the new coronavirus 2019-nCoV needed to send samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for testing. But on Tuesday (February 4), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use declaration that allows the newly developed test to be distributed as a kit to any CDC-qualified laboratory.

“This continues to be an evolving situation and the ability to distribute this diagnostic test to qualified labs is a critical step forward in protecting the public health,” says FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn in the agency’s announcement.

As of today, 2019-nCoV has killed 565 people and sickened more than 28,000. Since an epidemic of the virus began in Wuhan, China, in December, researchers in China and elsewhere have raced to sequence and analyze its genome, devise tests for it, and develop vaccines and ...

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Meet the Author

Shawna Williams
Shawna was an editor at The Scientist from 2017 through 2022. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Colorado College and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Previously, she worked as a freelance editor and writer, and in the communications offices of several academic research institutions. As news director, Shawna assigned and edited news, opinion, and in-depth feature articles for the website on all aspects of the life sciences. She is based in central Washington State, and is a member of the Northwest Science Writers Association and the National Association of Science Writers.
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