First At-Home Virus Test Is Cleared by the FDA

This could help the backlog of coronavirus testing—eventually. The FDA on Tuesday approved the first at-home test, reports STAT News. But most people will have to wait a while to get one of the kits made by LabCorp. The first ones will be made available only to heath care workers and first responders—and only if a doctor approves, per the AP. No word on when the $119 tests might be available to the general public. Those who get the tests will swirl a Q-Tip-style swab (not the longer swabs) in each nostril to collect a sample.

"We worked with LabCorp to ensure the data demonstrated from at-home patient sample collection is as safe and accurate as sample collection at a doctor’s office, hospital or other testing site,” said FDA chief Stephan Hahn in a statement. Despite some earlier confusion over other companies saying their at-home tests had been cleared by government regulators, the LabCorp kits are now the only ones with that approval. (More coronavirus stories.)