There’s no place like home for Covid-19 testing

December has seen six of the ten deadliest days from Covid-19 in the US since the virus emerged. Consequently test developers and the FDA are increasing efforts to keep patients away from healthcare settings. Both the molecular Covid-19 tests given emergency use authorisation by the FDA this month are intended for home use, and one of these does not even require a prescription. Labcorp’s Pixel test is now on sale direct to the consumer for $119. The buyer self-collects a nasal swab at home and sends it to Labcorp for testing. Positive or invalid test results are delivered over the phone by a healthcare provider, while negative ones come via email or online portal. The other home-based test to receive EUA this month comes from Quest Diagnostics, and can detect nucleic acid from both the novel coronavirus and influenza A and B – very useful now flu season is in full swing.

Note: "Other" includes eight antigen tests, six home sampling kits, three saliva collection devices and two IL-6 tests.