FDA Approves At-Home Test for Covid-19

According to KATC, The FDA reissued the emergency use authorization for the Laboratory Corporation of America’s COVID-19-RT-PCR test and they have approved the first authorized at-home test for the coronavirus. The Pixel by LabCorp COVID-19 home collection test can be done by patients at their own homes if they have doctor’s orders.

The Pixel is a nasal swab test developed and sold by LabCorp.  A sterile Q-tip style nose swab will be included in the kit for the patient to perform their own nasal swab. Then the patient must mail their swab samples in an insulated package to one of the LabCorp labs for testing and analysis. Dr. Stephen M. Hahn, Commissioner of Food and Drugs,  announced the news on Twitter.

According to the FDA, LabCorp will be making the home collection kits available in most states in the next few weeks. They will give health care workers and first responders access to the tests first.