November 30, 2021 – BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (Franklin Lakes, NJ) issued the following statement regarding testing for the COVID-19 Omicron variant of concern.
“BD actively monitors new and developing COVID-19 variants of concern to ensure the integrity and performance of our assays. BD has conducted an analysis of the recently identified Omicron variant of concern and we are confident that our rapid antigen and PCR tests for COVID-19 will detect the novel variant,” said Dave Hickey, president of Life Sciences for BD.
“Our analysis of the Omicron variant was conducted using all available genome sequences deposited in the GISAID EpiCoV database as of Nov. 29, 2021. When live viral samples are made available, BD will perform additional rigorous testing in the laboratory.
“BD actively monitors all sequenced SARS-CoV-2 isolates worldwide. Our team has evaluated over 3.5 million genomes to monitor for emerging variants. Variants of concern have been tested by BD and our partners and no undetectable variants have been identified.
“Reliable and widely available testing remains one of the most important measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. BD will continue to monitor and verify the performance of its COVID-19 tests to serve its mission of advancing the world of health.”