Medical workers test novel coronavirus samples at a lab in Wuhan, Hubei province, on Feb 6, 2020. [Photo by Zhou Chao/for chinadaily.com.cn]

A rapid testing kit for the COVID-19 antibody with results available in 29 minutes was approved by the National Medical Products Administration, according to the developer Saturday.

Developed by a research team led by Xiamen University, the kit can be used for clinical cases, suspected cases and the screening of high-risk groups, improving the testing efficiency of front-line medical institutions.

The kit had conducted clinical trials in hospitals in Wuhan, the city hardest hit by the epidemic in China. The combination of nucleic acid tests and antibody detection has improved the detection rate.

According to the developer, three antibody reagents for COVID-19 have been approved by the European Union and exported to countries including Italy, Austria and the Netherlands.