With questions swirling about how well rapid COVID-19 tests work when it comes to detecting the omicron variant, leading scientists are now reassuring the public that they do work, and have a valuable role to play in the ongoing pandemic. Read more at ABC news online. ABC news online.

NIH RADx Tech Independent Test Assessment Program provides support for FDA authorization of two rapid at-home COVID-19 tests.

The U.S. drug regulator has granted emergency use authorization to German health technology company Siemens Healthineers' (SHLG.DE) at-home COVID-19 tests, a move that will boost availability of tests pressured by rising infection cases. Read more at Reuters. Reuters.

The US FDA said Tuesday that quick antigen tests people take at home may be less sensitive to picking up the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, but health officials say they're still a useful tool. Read more at CNN health. CNN health

As the coronavirus spawns a record-breaking wave of infections, new research suggests that rapid tests widely used to identify potential covid-19 cases might be less effective at identifying illness caused by the swiftly spreading omicron variant. Read more at the Washington Post. Washington Post.

Hari Shroff, NIBIB, answers questions about his latest research into confocal microscopy. Source: AZO Life Sciences.

Awards will support innovative technologies to help improve maternal health around the world.

NIH-funded researchers are investigating how to use smartwatches to predict clinical test results, which could potentially serve as an early warning signal for underlying health issues.

A team led by NIBIB scientists has developed hardware and software innovations to construct super-resolution, 3D confocal images of fine structures in living samples.