FDA Authorizes First At Home COVID-19 Test That Gives Rapid Results

The Food and Drug Administration has authorized the first Covid-19 test designed to be taken at home for results within an hour.

According to NBC News, the agency announced emergency use authorization for the Lucira COVID-19 All-In-One Test Kit on Tuesday night.

The FDA claims that the test, which will require a prescription, works in about 30 minutes. The kit is authorized for home use for patients 14 years or older. The user can swab themselves and swirl it in a vial that is then placed in a test unit. The kit will also be available to be used in clinics and hospitals for patients of any age. The tests reportedly have a sensitivity of about 94.1 percent and a specificity of 98 percent. 

Lucira Health expects to initially roll out the tests in California and Florida “in the near future.” The kits will then be widely available across the country in the spring 2021 for a retail price of $50.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it had approved the first COVID-19 self-testing kit for home use that provides results within 30 minutes https://t.co/GLYEYMrhQj pic.twitter.com/h8p5WDMkRt

— Reuters (@Reuters) November 18, 2020