The Georgia Department of Public Health Friday received the first shipment of Abbott BinaxNOW Rapid COVID-19 Tests. The initial distribution contains 207,000 of the antigen tests. However, Georgia should receive 3 million tests by the end of the year. These first tests will be distributed to public health districts statewide for use in schools, among first responders, and other critical areas of need in communities statewide.
The BinaxNow tests require a nasal swab for specimen collection, and results are available in 15 minutes. BinaxNOW is for individuals with symptoms of COVID-19, ideally within the first seven days of feeling sick.
The BinaxNOW tests are about the size of a credit card. Because they do not require any machines or instrumentation for results, they are highly portable. Results from these antigen tests, like all antigen tests, may need to be confirmed by a PCR test.