As Oceanit moves ahead with in-vitro and in-vivo testing for the ASSURE-19 rapid point-of-need test kits, Hawaii is seeing high, sustained counts for new covid-19 cases each day.
Oahu reentered lockdown last week with the U.S Surgeon General, Jerome Adams joining local officials to announce the new restrictions that will last for at least two weeks. With many in the islands working in the tourism and hospitality industry, and related businesses, a true reopening of Hawaii is dependent upon being able to ensure the safety and health of both incoming tourists and all of our residents in the islands. Oceanit CEO Patrick Sullivan was interviewed by the Washington Post, Honolulu Star Advertiser, and NPR Hawaii Public Radio to share how things are progressing with our work (links below).
Testing for high-risk, pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic people is crucial. And in order to achieve both that level of speed and test availability, a low-cost solution is required. The Aloha Protocol was designed by Oceanit to make persistent testing mandatory for all those stepping off planes in the Islands. The day of travel, upon arrival, and for 5 days thereafter, passengers would self-test with ASSURE-19 kits, each day reporting their result via a smartphone app. Negative tests allow them to move about freely, but a positive test would indicate that they are about to reach infectious levels and should quarantine and/or seek further PCR testing.
This multi-day regimen would also be made available to those who have known contact or exposure to infected persons. Rather than waiting for symptoms to be deemed authorized for a PCR test, and then waiting days more for results, a person could monitor rapid results over a course of days to see if they need to quarantine immediately.
The ongoing trials for ASSURE-19 are bringing us closer and closer to making the Aloha Protocol a reality. In the media coverage below, Patrick Sullivan shared his thoughts on a safer reopening using the ASSURE-19 rapid point-of-need test kits. Read more at the links below:
8/29 Washington Post: Months into the pandemic, still no easy answers on coronavirus testing
8/29: Star Advertiser new editorial: Editorial: How Will Tourism Return?
8/28: Pacific Business News: Oceanit’s Covid-19 test begins trial with the Queen’s Medical Center
8/28: Hawaii Public Radio NPR, The Conversation: The Conversation: Hawaii’s COVID-19 Research On Testing, Vaccines and Treatment
