Hillsborough County To Get Rapid Test Kits for First Responders

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — Hillsborough County Emergency Management will receive 44,000 rapid test kits, manufactured by American Bio Medica Corp., to test first responders and critical health care professionals on the front lines.

After Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared public safety officials should be given priority for these tests, Hillsborough County purchased enough kits to administer the tests to all fire, EMS and police agencies in Hillsborough and its municipalities, and are awaiting their arrival.

Additionally, recognizing that assisted living facilities and nursing homes provide care to one of the most vulnerable populations, the county purchased sufficient rapid test kits to ensure medical and nursing staff at these facilities will also be tested.

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The test consists of a small finger prick, with a drop of blood placed on the testing instrument. The test provides definitive results within 10 minutes. Information released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests a large percent of the population may have the virus and never develop symptoms. This test is critical in determining if these essential health care workers and first responders are currently infected or have been exposed to the virus and developed antibodies.

The information garnered from the test results could help fight the spread of coronavirus. People who are determined to have developed the antibodies could be safely deployed to “hot spots” to administer life-saving treatment.