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First US Home Collection COVID-19 Test Gets Green Light

US regulators have authorized the first COVID-19 test that lets people take a sample of mucus inside their nose at home to check for the novel coronavirus. The maker of the test, LabCorp, says the test will be available in most states within the next few weeks – but health care workers will be given the tests before the general public.

Molecular Bio Lab Lab Corp.
A LabCorp technician running a diagnostics test • Source: Source: LabCorp

The US Food and Drug Administration announced on 21 April that it reissued an emergency use authorization for Laboratory Corporation of America’s (LabCorp) COVID-19 RT-PCR Test that now lets users take a sample of their mucus from the confines of their home. The test is intended to make it easier for people suspected of having the SARS-CoV-2 virus to determine whether they’re positive and to help reduce the risk of spreading the disease.

The FDA issued the EUA for the tests about a month ago but has now updated that authorization to allow...

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