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Augury Raises $55 Million Series D Funding to Sustain Rapid Growth, Announces New Global Partnerships and Capabilities

October 14, 2020

New Funding Round Led by Israeli-based Qumra Capital Marks Significant Increase in Valuation for IIoT Leader

Augury, a leading AI-based Machine Health solution provider, today announced it has secured $55 million in funding. The additional capital will be used to sustain and accelerate Augury’s rapid growth and to capitalize on the opportunity to help leading industrial companies improve the reliability, resilience and efficiency of their manufacturing operations. This Series D round was led by Qumra Capital, a leading late-stage venture capital firm based out of Israel. It includes participation from existing key investors, including Insight Venture Partners, Eclipse Ventures, Munich Re Venture Capital, Qualcomm Ventures and Lerer Hippeau Ventures. With this round Augury has raised $106 million since its initial funding six years ago.

The company also announced new partnerships and capabilities to help its global customers gain the benefit of prescriptive diagnostics and machine insights, no matter where in

Trump’s rapid recovery from Covid-19, while welcome, ‘amplifies’ public misunderstanding of disease

October 13, 2020

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Health officials have struggled to convey the seriousness of Covid-19 to many Americans. President Trump’s rapid recovery from the disease, while welcome by all, makes the challenge even more difficult, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases acknowledged.

Anthony S. Fauci wearing a suit and tie: Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks during a House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis hearing in Washington, D.C.

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Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks during a House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis hearing in Washington, D.C.

Trump’s quick bounce-back from his infection will likely underscore the mistaken belief some people have that the disease does not present significant health risks, Fauci said in an interview with STAT.

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“We’re all glad that the president of the United States did not suffer any significant consequences of it,” Fauci said. “But … because he is such a visible figure, it amplifies some of that misunderstanding that people have that it’s a benign disease and

Here’s where you can get free rapid COVID-19 testing in Mississippi

October 13, 2020

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Mississippi Clarion Ledger

Published 9:00 p.m. CT Oct. 12, 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19 ) testing at the Mississippi Department of Public Health Laboratory.

Wochit

The Mississippi State Department of Health is making free rapid testing available at its drive-through community test sites, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs announced Monday.

Rapid test results will be returned within 15 minutes, but it’s unclear how accurate they will be, Dobbs said. Rapid tests are done in the “front of the nose,” as opposed to the deeper PCR tests MSDH has been using, he said.

If people choose to take the rapid test, they will also receive a PCR test, the results of which will be returned within a few days, he said. They can also choose to take the PCR test only.

Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs announced free rapid COVID-19 testing will be available at drive-through community test sites.

Nevada Revokes Halt on Rapid Antigen Testing in Nursing Homes

October 10, 2020

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A week later, however, Admiral Giroir cracked down on Nevada’s “illegal” prohibition on BD’s and Quidel’s tests, which he said had imperiled the residents and staff of nursing homes across the state. “They cannot supersede the PREP Act,” he said.

The false positives that had emerged, Admiral Giroir said, were not only expected but “actually an outstanding result.” No test is perfect, he said.

In the Nevada statement, Dr. Azzam reaffirmed his concerns with the number of false positives that had arisen. “If this laboratory data discrepancy had been reported to Dr. Giroir, we would hope he would have taken the same action as Nevada,” he said. “We too want more testing with rapid turnaround in Nevada, but the results of those tests must be accurate, as they affect clinical care.”

The state’s nursing facilities can resume use of BD’s and Quidel’s products, according to a new Nevada directive issued

HHS pushes back against Nevada’s rapid test pause for Covid-19

October 9, 2020

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The federal government is pushing back on an order from Nevada’s department of health to suspend rapid Covid-19 tests in nursing homes — suggesting the decision “can only be based on a lack of knowledge or bias,” according to a letter signed by Dr. Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The move comes one week after the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services mandated that long-term care facilities in the state stop using two Covid-19 antigen tests that had been supplied by the federal government.

Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

State health officials in Nevada said the antigen tests, which can deliver results within 15 minutes, had an unusually high number of false positives. That indicates a person is infected when in fact he or she is not.

Covid-19 antigen tests are designed to detect certain proteins on the surface of

Trump health official blasts Nevada after state ends use of rapid coronavirus tests in nursing homes

October 9, 2020

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A top official from the Department of Health and Human Services on Friday urged Nevada to reverse its decision to suspend the use of two rapid coronavirus tests in nursing homes, saying there is no “scientific reason” to justify its action.

Brett Giroir wearing a suit and tie: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ADM Brett P. Giroir testifies before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on the Trump Administration's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, June 23, 2020.

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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ADM Brett P. Giroir testifies before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on the Trump Administration’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, June 23, 2020.

Nevada health officials have ordered nursing facilities in the state to immediately suspend the use of two tests, manufactured by companies Quidel and Becton, Dickinson and Co., after the officials said the tests repeatedly delivered false positives.

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Nevada officials said 23 out of 39 positive antigen test results from both Quidel and BD were later found by PCR to be negative, according to a directive

Why Nevada halted the use of rapid coronavirus tests in nursing homes

October 9, 2020

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John Minchillo / AP

In this Wednesday, March 11, 2020 photo, a technician prepares COVID-19 coronavirus patient samples for testing at a laboratory in New York’s Long Island.

By Hillary Davis (contact)

Friday, Oct. 9, 2020 | 2 a.m.

The state health department has ordered Nevada nursing homes to suspend the use of certain rapid COVID-19 tests because of the likelihood of false positives.

According to an Oct. 2 memo from the state Division of Public and Behavioral Health, the rapid antigen tests are showing that they have a high tendency to produce false positives despite earlier statements from the Food and Drug Administration that if they produced any inaccurate results, they would lead to false negatives.

The FDA added that follow-up testing should be done on negatives, not positives.

However, state public health officials issued guidance to the contrary, which led to data showing 60% of a sample of

Rapid COVID Testing Coming To Airport Near You, XpresCheck Test Could Boost Air Travel

October 7, 2020

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KEY POINTS

XpresCheck rapid COVID tests began at JFK and Liberty airports Wednesday
The company hopes to expand nationwide
The test delivers results in 13 minutes

The airline industry, devastated by the coronavirus pandemic, is about to get a boost: Health and wellness company XpresSpa Group Inc. began conducting rapid COVID-19 testing at Kennedy International Airport in New York and Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey, with plans to expand the program nationwide.

With the pandemic still raging across the United States, Americans have been reluctant to get on airplanes, with the total number of passengers averaging about 25% of last year’s levels.

More than 7.5 million Americans have been infected by the coronavirus and more than 211,000 have died from COVID-19.

Though the virus doesn’t spread easily on flights because of air circulation systems, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns exposure to people in close quarters and

Use of Coronavirus Rapid Tests May Have Fueled White House Covid-19 Cluster, Experts Say

October 5, 2020

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At least eight people who attended the White House’s recent Supreme Court nomination ceremony for Amy Coney Barrett have tested positive for the coronavirus, and public health experts say they expect more attendees to be diagnosed in coming days.

The White House says it has relied on rapid testing to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 among officials and guests. Officials don’t wear masks or socially distance because they are tested daily. The president is also tested for the coronavirus every day, as is anyone who comes in close contact with him.

The administration relied on

Abbott Laboratories

’ ID Now rapid test at the Sept. 26 event for Judge Barrett. After guests tested negative, they were ushered to the Rose Garden, where few people were wearing masks. The White House didn’t comment on whether anyone screened at the event tested positive.

Public-health experts say the White House isn’t using

Rapid Coronavirus Test Kits Are Headed For Washington

October 2, 2020

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OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Health expects a federal shipment of nearly 150,000 rapid coronavirus testing kits will arrive within five to 10 days, officials announced late Wednesday. By November, the state anticipates it will have received 2.3 million kits.

Right now, the Abbott BinaxNOW antigen tests are approved only for people exhibiting symptoms, but the state may later extend their use to include anyone who is exposed to a confirmed case. According to DOH, the tests are typically less accurate than standard molecular tests, and their effectiveness for people without symptoms has not undergone rigorous study. Interpreting the results can also be complex.

According to the Abbott website, the test involves taking a nasal swab and inserting it into a test card. Within minutes, results are available and can be stored on an optional app, which generates a new QR code for each test result.

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