We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App





FDA Develops Fecal Test for COVID-19

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 14 Dec 2020
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA Silver Spring, MD, USA) has developed a test for COVID-19 in fecal matter that aims to prevent the disease from being inadvertently transmitted during fecal transplantation.

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a modern method in which microbes usually found in the human gut and are part of a healthy body are transplanted into patients who are suffering from conditions such as clostridium difficile infection, a pathogen that is generally transmitted in healthcare settings. More...
The unsupervised use of FMT by people lacking medical training can lead to the transmission of pathogens. Additionally, there are concerns about pathogens transmitted in medical settings and the FDA has received reports of the novel coronavirus found in the stool of patients.

There is no validated stool test as of now, although Paul Carlson, principal investigator in the Laboratory of Mucosal Pathogens and Cellular Immunology at FDA’s Office of Vaccines Research and Review said that his office has developed a “working assay for detection” of the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 in stool in results confirmed independently by a laboratory at Stanford University. Carlson’s office was concerned that asymptomatic individuals infected with COVID-19 would unknowingly becoming FMT donors.

Speaking during a webinar that was organized by the agency’s Office of Scientific Professional Development, Carlson said, “we advised no use of fecal donations from after Dec. 1, 2019, until effective screening methods are implemented. There were no methods for testing for COVID in stool. We know now that the viral RNA is found in stool and infectious virus as well. Infection in the GI tract is likely.”

A scientific paper on the test is now in pre-publication and the method could have other research uses, according to Carlson.

Related Links:
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)


Gold Member
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Sample-To-Answer Test
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Cartridge (CE-IVD)
Portable Electronic Pipette
Mini 96
New
Automated MALDI-TOF MS System
EXS 3000
New
Hemodynamic System Monitor
OptoMonitor
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: New research points to protecting blood during radiation therapy (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Pioneering Model Measures Radiation Exposure in Blood for Precise Cancer Treatments

Scientists have long focused on protecting organs near tumors during radiotherapy, but blood — a vital, circulating tissue — has largely been excluded from dose calculations. Each blood cell passing through... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate Sample Stability (Photo courtesy of ALCOR Scientific)

ESR Testing Breakthrough Extends Blood Sample Stability from 4 to 28 Hours

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is one of the most widely ordered blood tests worldwide, helping clinicians detect and monitor infections, autoimmune conditions, cancers, and other diseases.... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Conceptual design of the CORAL capsule for microbial sampling in the small intestine (H. Mohammed et al., Device (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.device.2025.100904)

Coral-Inspired Capsule Samples Hidden Bacteria from Small Intestine

The gut microbiome has been linked to conditions ranging from immune disorders to mental health, yet conventional stool tests often fail to capture bacterial populations in the small intestine.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.