In recent weeks, officials of the NBA have collaborated in assessing the viability of blood-testing devices for the COVID-19 that could show accurate results within just a few minutes. This is a process that might help the league be able to track the virus in which is considered as a critical first step toward coming back to play in the near future.
Several league sources close to the situation said that the NBA and players union have looked at what those familiar with the issue described as diabetes-like blood testing, be quickly tested with the prick of a finger and results could be provided within 15 minutes.
According to a report on Washington Post, last week, the Abbott Laboratories started shipping its new rapid-response tests in the U.S. The tests, approved by the FDA, are said to provide results in 5 to 13 minutes.
Meanwhile, the league sources emphasized that this issue is in the exploratory phase only and there is no clear timetable as to when the efficacy of this device might be proven. They also emphasized that advances in medicine and science are proceeding at a rapid speed, with collaboration worldwide, offering hope that breakthrough solutions could be created sooner rather than later.
With a dozen of general managers and athletic training officials around the league being interviewed in recent days, there is a common sense that finding out effective methods for rapid-response testing is the critical hurdle that needs to be cleared for any game to take place in the coming time.
The wider availability of the devices that the NBA has been assessing was not quite clear. However, a lot of team officials around the league said if there is an effective rapid-testing approach made available, the timing of when it could be used in the league is still unclear and must be delicately and appropriately handled, given the shortages of testing available nationwide.