PerkinElmer's New Coronavirus Nucleic Acid Detection kit has received an emergency use authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in testing people who do not have symptoms of infection and where there is no other reason to suspect a positive result.
The reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) product was originally cleared for emergency use in March 2020. Research suggests that up to 60% of COVID-19 cases have been transmitted by individuals who had no symptoms. The company's test kit is also authorized for sample pooling of specimens from symptomatic as well as asymptomatic individuals.
