Pharmaceutical company Roche Holding AG announced in a statement on Friday the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its SARS-CoV-2 detection test.

According to the statement, the FDA green-lighted the Swiss-based company's test for the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease, giving it emergency use authorization.

CEO of the company's diagnostics division Thomas Schinecker said: "Providing quality, high-volume testing capabilities will allow us to respond effectively to what the World Health Organization has characterized as a pandemic. It is important to quickly and reliably detect whether a patient is infected with SARS-CoV-2," adding: "Over the last weeks, our emergency response teams have been working hard to bring this test to the patients. CE-mark certification and the FDA’s granting of EUA supports our commitment to give more patients access to reliable diagnostics which are crucial to combat this serious disease."