New coronavirus test that could make process 10 times faster gets FDA approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new coronavirus test that officials say will provide results 10 times faster.

The test, developed by a Swiss health care company, received emergency approval from the FDA, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Experts say testing is critical for identifying COVID-19 cases and slowing the spread of the disease, but the United States has been struggling to keep up with the number of people who need to be tested.

The Swiss company, Roche Holding AG, uses its own machines for coronavirus testing, Bloomberg reported.

Many of the machines are already installed in the United States, and more are on the way, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Just one of the company’s machines has the capacity to run 4,128 samples in a single day, according to Bloomberg. Coronavirus tests require a patient’s saliva and mucus to determine if they are infected.

Even with the new test becoming available, it is unclear how much of an impact it will make overall, due to other barriers that have hindered testing over the past weeks.

Patients who haven’t met criteria for testing have been turned away, according to CNN.

The New York Times reported some testing sites have run short on chemicals needed for testing.