Home Covid-19 Tests Approved!
by Annette Pinder
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the first at-home rapid coronavirus test that that yields immediate results and does not require a prescription. It also does not require samples to be sent to a lab and can be taken without doctor’s orders and is safe for anyone older than two years.
The rapid home test was developed by the Australian company Ellume, who says first batches of the test will be shipped out the first week of January and cost $30. The test uses a nasal swab to collect a sample and produces results within minutes using a plastic device similar to a home pregnancy test. The test will require users to download an app on their smartphone to learn their test result. The app allows the data to be sent by zip code to the cloud — to ensure that local and regional health officials know about any positive results while keeping the data confidential.
While the rapid tests have been 90 to 97 percent accurate in detecting the virus, detection often depends on when people take the test. Experts say while people can take the test one day and be negative, they can acquire the virus the next day.
The FDA has also approved another single-use home test kit developed by Lucira Health, but it requires a prescription from a doctor. However, more new tests are expected to be approved. Experts say that with increasing capacity, there is a growing need for state and federal officials to come up with a national strategy for how to deploy the tests effectively and provide federal funding for regular, dedicated mass testing in schools, hard-hit nursing homes, and among essential workers.
