On Friday, the US Food and Drug Administration authorized what it says is the first at-home test that can tell users if they have the flu and/or Covid-19.
The test, made by California biotech company Lucira Health, uses a single self-collected nasal swab and can provide results in about half an hour. The test can be bought without a prescription. It's authorized for anyone 14 and older for self-collection, or an adult can give it to a child 2 or older.
There weren't enough influenza B cases while Lucira was testing the product to measure that performance, so the company says it will have to do a real-world test when there is enough virus in circulation. But in lab studies, it caught nearly 100% of negative cases. Studies show that an at-home test can be less accurate than a lab test because users might not get enough of a sample for a valid result. Health-care providers also may have more sensitive tests.
Historically, doctors have been reluctant to leave testing to their patients, but the Covid-19 pandemic changed some of that sentiment. Studies have found that people don't need medical training to test themselves for respiratory illnesses.
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