Company hopes to distribute millions of COVID-19 tests

Companies are working to get quick FDA approval for coronavirus tests and one lab is hoping to produce millions of tests a week.

Maya Rodriguez reports.

APPROVAL FOR CORONAVIRUS TESTS.AND ONE LAB - IS HOPING TOPRODUCE A MILLION TESTS A WEEK.MAYA RODRIGUEZ HAS THE DETAILS.AS THE CORONAVIRUS CONTINUES TOSPREAD - AND THE NEED FOR MORETESTING GROWS WITH IT- LABSACROSS THE U-S ARE RACING TOGET APPROVAL FOR THEIR TESTSFOR COVID-19.THE COMPANY ABBOTT IS ONE OFTHEM." ABBOTT WAS ABLE TO GET ANEMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION FORA NEW TEST, MOLECULAR TEST FORTHE SARS-CORONAVIRUS-2."RESEARCHERS INSIDE THEIRILLINOIS LAB.CREATED A TEST THAT CAN BE USEDWITH THE COMPANY'S TESTINGSYSTEM - CALLED 'M2000REALTIME" - THAT'S KEY -BECAUSE THE COMPANY SAYS THATSYSTEM IS ALREADY WIDELYAVAILABLE IN HOSPITALS ANDTESTING LABS AROUND THECOUNTRY." THESE ARE IN HOSPITALS ANDACADEMIC CENTERS AND THIS ISWHERE THE TEST VOLUME IS." THESPEED IN REGULATORY APPROVALFROM THE F-D-A FOR THE TEST WASUNPRECEDENTED - THE COMPANYSAYS THAT, NORMALLY, IT CANYEARS TO GET A TEST APPROVEDTHIS ONE HAPPENED IN A MATTEROF WEEKS THEIR TESTINGSYSTEM CAN RUN THROUGH 470PATIENT TESTS PER DAY." THIS IS A MASSIVE IMPACT WHENYOU THINK ABOUT TRYING TO GETRESULTS BACK TO THE PHYSICIANS.THIS IS ACTIONABLE INFORMATION- EITHER A PERSON'S INFECTED ORTHEY'RE NOT." 150-THOUSANDTESTS ARE NOW ON THEIR WAY TOCOVID-19.THE COMPANY PLANS TO BEPRODUCING A MILLION TESTS AWEEK BY THE END OF THISMONTH.OTHER COMPANIES -- INCLUDINGTHOSE IN IN CALIFORNIA ANDTEXAS -- HAVE SIMILARAUTHORIZATIONS FROM THE F-D-AAND ARE HOPING PROVIDE MORETESTS." THE KEY THING HERE IS TO GETTO A POINT WHERE WE CAN CHANGETHE TRAJECTORY, REDUCE THETRAJECTORY, REDUCE THE NUMBEROF NEW INFECTIONS THAT AREOCCURRING." A CHANGE THEY HOPE- MIGHT PUT A DENT IN THE