CORONAVIRUS - 2020

[Golden Cross]

$FLDM Fluidigm up 54% on potential early blood test for coronavirus

May 1, 2020 3:41 PM ET|About: Fluidigm Corporation (FLDM)|By: Douglas W. House, SA News Editor
Fluidigm (FLDM +54.0%), fresh off of a volatility halt, is up on more than triple normal volume clearing a five-week base in apparent response to an article in The Guardian about a DARPA-funded COVID-19 assay that can potentially identify carriers before they become infectious.

The blood test could possibly detect the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus as early as 24 hours after infection, about four days earlier than current assays, by "looking at the body's immune response to the virus." It runs on the same polymerase chain reaction (PCR) gear used with nasal or throat swabs.

If the FDA signs off on emergency use, the test could be rolled out in about a month.

DARPA is collaborating with medical schools at Mount Sinai, Duke and Princeton and Fluidigm on the project.

COVID-19 test-related tickers:ABT, OTCQX:RHHBY, TMO, QGEN, CODX, BDX, LH, DGX