Covid-19 antibody tests can help people rejoin society, but some are stuck in China
April 17, 2020 / By Curt Devine, Drew Griffin, Nelli Black and Scott Bronstein, CNN
(CNN) – The first tests for Covid-19 antibodies authorized by US regulators are stuck in China, according to the company behind them.
A spokesperson for the North Carolina-based company Cellex, the maker of a test that can detect whether a person’s blood has virus antibodies, told CNN Chinese regulatory hurdles blocked its production site in China from exporting to the US.
Asked about the timing of the availability of the tests, which received emergency-use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration earlier this month, the Cellex spokesperson said the company should be able to meet demand “shortly” but added, “it may take a little longer than we would like to sort out the supply chain, mass production, shipping and getting through the red tapes.”
The US ambassador to China, Terry Branstad, has said the US embassy is aware of issues regarding medical exports from China and is working with Chinese authorities to address them.
