The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the first at-home sample collection test for COVID-19 today.

The FDA re-issued the emergency use authorization (EUA) for LabCorp's COVID-19 RT-PCR Test, which will now be permitted to test the at-home samples people take using LabCorp's Pixel by LabCorp COVID-19 Test home collection kit.

The at-home sample collection kit includes designated nasal swabs and saline. After someone takes a sample from their nose with the special nasal swab, they mail the sample inside of an insulated package to a LabCorp lab for testing.

According to a tweet from LabCorp, kits will initially be made available to frontline healthcare workers and first responders. Kits will be available to consumers in most states, with a doctor's order, in the coming weeks, according to the FDA release.

This authorization is only for the LabCorp COVID-19 RT-PCR Test for at-home collection of nasal swab specimens using the Pixel by LabCorp COVID-19 home collection kit. This is not a general authorization for at-home COVID-19 sample collection tests.

Read the full press release.

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