As coronavirus cases continue to rise across the country, a positive step was made this week as the FDA approved a test that can be taken in-home that provides users with results in about 30 minutes.

The Lucira COVID-19 All-In-One Test Kit is by prescription only and is meant for in-home use by those 14 and older. The kit can also be used in hospitals on patients of any age. A person can self-administer the test by doing a nasal swab and then swirling it in a vial, which is placed in a test unit.

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On Tuesday, the FDA announced emergency use authorization for the test, which is being called the first rapid test of its kind to be approved for in-home use.  There have previously been other tests that allowed users to take a sample at home, but then had to be sent away for results.

Another test from Wren Laboratories offers families the option to do an in-home test without a nasal swab that can be difficult for young children. Wren Laboratories is the first US lab to receive approval for a saliva-based PCR COVID-19 test combined with its own proprietary saliva collection device. Parents and kids can skip the long lines for tests and simply do a saliva collection that is then sent to a lab for results. This PCR COVID test is also FDA authorized.

As we enter the colder months and we run the risk of more people gathering indoors, it’s comforting to know that new tests like these are out there to provide quick results that can potentially stop the spread of COVID-19.

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