‘Major milestone’: FDA authorizes test that can detect both COVID and influenza

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week announced its authorization of what it said is the first-ever-authorized at-home test that can detect both COVID and influenza.

The agency said in its announcement that the Lucira-made test constituted “a major milestone in bringing greater consumer access to diagnostic tests that can be performed entirely at home.”

The test, which works similarly to COVID tests by using nasal swabs to collect samples, had high success rates in identifying both negative and positive tests of COVID and both A and B strains of influenza. 

The FDA “will continue to use its authorities to increase the number of appropriately accurate and easy to use at-home tests available to the public,” the agency said.