BioIQ, an Atlanta-based biotech company, has released an at-home saliva test that can detect Covid-19, Flu A / Flu B, and a 21 test respiratory panel from a single saliva sample.
The new development in testing, which is only available to health providers and employers, comes just two months after the company released its first Covid-19 saliva test.
"In the first phase of this battle against COVID-19, laboratories responded with testing but often this testing did not get to the people and businesses who needed it most. It lacked a delivery model and technology platform," Justin Bellante, BioIQ CEO, said in a statement. "BioIQ is committed to helping the nation add testing capacity for the challenge, and not repeat shortcomings of the past, by adding innovative testing and tools such as telehealth, contact tracing and communication / notifications, in concert with a technology platform that enables delivery at scale and provides the access and convenience for consumers in a second-wave scenario."
The new testing was made possible by a partnership between BioIQ and P23 Labs, a Little Rock, Ark.-based diagnostic center that created a solution to test one saliva sample for multiple illnesses for the upcoming flu season, according to a news release.
"Because consumers and employers are bracing for one of the most challenging flu seasons in history, P23 Labs thought it critical to have a solution supporting this unique circumstance, keeping the country and the economy moving forward," Dr. Bernadette M. Mandes Wildemore, MD CMO of P23 Labs, said in a statement.
The test can detect Covid-19, adenovirus, other coronaviruses, rhinovirus, influenza A, influenza B, parainfluenzas, pneumoniae and other respiratory conditions.
The goal of the new tests is to provide patients with a safe, convenient way to test for these illnesses, many of which can cause the same symptoms, and avoid unnecessary use of hospital resources. The testing will include a platform where clinicians can discuss a patient's test results via telehealth and come up with a treatment plan for whatever illness they have. The companies also believe the testing will prove useful in checking employees who are returning to work for symptoms and exposure, contact tracing and notifications.
BioIQ works with employers, government agencies and health providers to supply them with testing for diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease, along with immunization programs patients can take at home or in the doctor’s office.
