CARSON CITY — Nevada received notification from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take responsibility to determine the quality of newly developed COVID-19 test kits and kit components, one of three states to earn this ability from the FDA.
“This change in Nevada’s status will allow the State of Nevada, not the FDA, to determine whether products associated with testing are safe and effective for testing,” said Dr. Mark Pandori, director of the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory. “This means that when labs in Nevada do validation studies on products to determine whether they are effective prior to launching testing, they can submit their findings to the state, not the FDA, for approval. This is a much faster process. By the end of next week, we should have data on novel products for testing that should increase testing capacity considerably.”
This does not mean every citizen will be tested immediately. It gives health care providers more accessibility to prioritize testing to those with serious symptoms, as well as vulnerable citizens and health care workers most likely to have come in contact with COVID-19.
There is, to date, no treatment for COVID-19. State officials said it has been advised that those with mild symptoms do not need to be tested.
“I am proud that Nevada has taken this step and I commend our labs for their ongoing work to bring peace of mind to Nevadans through testing for COVID-19,” said Governor Steve Sisolak.
