Chembio Diagnostics Inc. (Hauppauge, New York) has developed a rapid, point-of-care diagnostic test for COVID-19 that has been authorized for distribution by the FDA under the US public health emergency guidance issued on March 16, 2020. This test will produce results within 15 minutes and can provide diagnosis as well as distinguish between recent and distant infection. This test is also being used at Stony Brook University Hospital (Stony Brook, NY) to recruit patients for a large-scale clinical trial to determine whether antibodies from individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 can be used to treat critically ill patients hospitalized with active COVID-19 infection.
We are proud to announce that this test was developed by a team led by Dr. Dhammika Gunasekera, an alum of the University of Colombo and CUFSAA member. Dr. Gunasekera is a Research and Development Director at Chembio Diagnostics Inc. whose group has previously developed diagnostic tests for Zika and Ebola. Dr. Gunasekera was in the 81-85 batch at the University of Colombo and she graduated with a special degree in Plant Biology. She completed her Ph.D. at Rutgers University in New Jersey and her postdoctoral studies at the University of California, Davis and Chicago Medical School. She has worked at Chembio Diagnostics since 2005, and has previously worked at Abbott Laboratories in Illinois as a Research Scientist.
Dhammika is married to Dr. Angelo Gunasekera, who is also an alum of the University of Colombo. Angelo graduated with a special degree in Chemistry in the 81-85 batch and he is an active CUFSAA member. Dhammika & Angelo live in Long Island, NY with their children, Kenneth, Milan and Sarah, and are active members of the Sri Lankan community in New York.
[Image and Additional info: https://www.newsday.com/business/coronavirus/rapid-diagnostic-test-coronavirus-antibody-1.43600774]