Phosphorus recently unveiled an innovation dubbed the Citizen app. This application is designed to identify coronavirus symptoms in people who may have been at risk of exposure to the deadly virus. Phosphorus is a New York-based genomics institution that has cemented its reputation among the top genomics-based firms around.
The FDA recognizes the company’s laboratory in New Jersey for its efforts in spreading awareness about the virus, and Phosphorus has acquired the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization for coronavirus testing. With their new app, you can now verify your status in the comfort of your home. Tests can be accessed from the Citizen application, with over 10,000 tests done for free so far. You can access the application from both Android and iOS platforms.
The SafePass Feature
The Citizen app comes with the SafePass feature. Phosphorus maintains that your data is secure, in line with their Opt-In Only policy. SafePass works to follow through on any chance of virus exposure. After turning on the feature, all you have to do is activate your Bluetooth and it will let you know the time and place that you may have been at risk of exposure.
Another exciting feature of SafePass is that it can also trace your contacts if someone you recently interacted with has tested positive for coronavirus. Phosphorus goes the extra mile and offers additional tests to people who might have run into an exposure risk. This is usually done within three months. As mentioned earlier, user security is a top priority, and that is why it is an opt-in program.
User Privacy
Phosphorus has a policy against the distribution of sensitive data, and as such, there is no relaying of any personal details or names of their clients. Every bit of information is kept private. After 30 days, any personal information in the Citizen app is completely wiped.
Home-Based Testing
Phosphorus Diagnostics was recently awarded an Emergency Use Authorization charter by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States for their in-home, saliva-based coronavirus test. One advantage of this testing method is that it is much less invasive than the standard swab technique used to test for the virus. Since it is a relatively straightforward process, its widespread incorporation has been further fueled by endorsements from experts who believe it is a useful strategy for virus containment.
The co-founder and CEO of Phosphorus, Alex Bisignano, has stated that his company is delighted to join forces with Citizen in developing this useful innovation. He further insisted on the importance of the program in contact tracing exercises and the early identification of new infections.
Innovative Efforts
Alex Bisignano further revealed that Phosphorus has been working tirelessly to develop innovative ideas to enhance efforts to contain this virus. Incorporating SafePass was a great strategy to help with testing for the virus from home. Part of Phosphorus’s focus is on ensuring that testing is up to standards with existing protocols to make sure that the results are legitimate and reliable.
The company is among the first to be granted an FDA Emergency Use Authorization to start a medical study that is thorough and precise. The study goes beyond FDA-recommended sample performance exercises as well. Phosphorus COVID-19 tests are now readily available to the public, who only have to go online to order one.
The test is also available for use by medical professionals. Phosphorus has established a strategy in line with the recommendations from the FDA Guidelines for Diagnostic Tests for Coronavirus Disease. They are fully compliant with Public Health Emergency protocols as well.
A Brief History
Development of these tests was done at the company’s CLIA lab located in New Jersey. The saliva collection module known as Oragene®·Dx (OGD-510) from OraSure has been recognized as a genuinely remarkable testing device, which can be compared to existing gold standard techniques. Phosphorus genomics is an advanced genomic testing provider for healthcare institutions utilizing Next-Gen Sequencing (NGS) technology.
