May 16, 2020 - Health

FDA authorizes first at-home kit that can be used with multiple coronavirus tests

Orion Rummler

In this image, a woman is given a nasal swab by a health care worker — A health care worker takes a nasal swab sample to test for the coronavirus at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York City on May 13. Photo: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

An at-home coronavirus collection kit made by health care startup Everlywell has received emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, the agency announced Saturday.

Why it matters: This is the only kit that can be used with multiple coronavirus tests, although two other at-home swabs have received authorization from the FDA. The swabs collected at home will be sent to labs for diagnosis.

Details: Everlywell's kit, which allows people to collect a nasal sample for the virus, is authorized for use based on the results of a COVID-19 questionnaire administered by health care providers, the FDA said.

What they're saying: “The authorization of a COVID-19 at-home collection kit that can be used with multiple tests at multiple labs not only provides increased patient access to tests, but also protects others from potential exposure,” Jeffrey Shuren, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said.

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FDA authorizes first at-home kit that can be used with multiple coronavirus tests

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