The FDA-approved tests will allow researchers to look for antibodies, which will indicate if a person was exposed to the coronavirus and recovered from it.

“Rapid detection of COVID-19 cases in the United States requires a wide availability of diagnostic testing to control the emergence of this rapidly spreading, severe illness,” the FDA stated.

According to OCD’s Chief Innovation Officer Dr. Chockalingam Palaniappan, the tests will run on machines that are already in more than 1,000 labs across the country. He says about 150 tests can be processed within an hour.