Swiss firm launches 5-minute blood test to screen patients most at risk from Covid

Abionic SA said a low score on the test can allow doctors to discharge patients or shift them from intensive care to the general ward faster.

A medical worker puts a drop of blood into a rapid blood test (Representational image) | Carlos Becerra | Bloomberg File photo

Bern: A Swiss firm has introduced a blood test that can help hospitals more quickly pinpoint patients at risk of a severe form of Covid-19 as doctors seek ways to triage and prioritize medical treatment.

Abionic SA said Thursday its method can be performed without medical training on a drop of capillary blood and gives results in five minutes. The Lausanne, Switzerland-based company said a low score can allow doctors to discharge patients from the hospital or shift them from intensive care to the general ward.

The company said its cSOFA score is an improvement from a method that’s used throughout hospitals already. The process, which looks for a biomarker called pancreatic stone protein, has approval for sale in Europe.

Intensive care units filled up in the most recent surge of infections in Europe. While ward occupancy has come down in France and Belgium, Sweden has reached its highest level since June. – Bloomberg