(Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) Inc on Wednesday launched a coronavirus blood test that could show whether a person has been infected and plans to ramp up manufacturing to produce 20 million tests in June.
The test helps identify disease-fighting antibodies in people who have been infected but may have had mild symptoms or none at all, making it different from the current diagnostic tests that require nasal swabs to confirm active infection.
Abbott has previously won U.S. authorization for two coronavirus testing kits: an automated test that can be used in labs and a test that can deliver results within minutes and be used in physicians' offices, clinics and hospitals.