FDA authorizes first at-home test for both COVID and the flu

Sick and wondering if you may have either COVID-19 or the flu? A new test cleared for use by the Food and Drug Administration promises to tell you just that. 

The Lucira COVID-19 & Flu Home Test is available over the counter and delivers results from a self-collected sample in roughly 30 minutes. The new test differentiates between COVID and the flu and indicates if a user is positive or negative for either of the viruses based on a nasal swab. It is the first such test to receive an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA.

"Today's authorization of the first OTC test that can detect Influenza A and B, along with SARS-CoV-2, is a major milestone in bringing greater consumer access to diagnostic tests that can be performed entirely at home," said Jeff Shuren, director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, in a statement.