Blunt Provides Update On Shark Tank Initiative

Missouri Senator Roy Blunt provided an update on the Senate floor on the Shark Tank-type program that has been undertaken at the National Institutes of Health to quickly more forward the development of COVID-19 testing technologies. The program asked individuals and business to submit applications for funding for the effort. One of the testing technologies would be a rapid result for a COVID-19 test.

Since April, 650 applications were received.

31 projects are now in Phase I testings. Phase I is essentially a validation phase. 7 companies are starting to scale up production of their technology.

Blunt says some tests could be available as early as next month.