REVERE, MASS. (WHDH) - People looking to get tested for the coronavirus can do so from the comfort of their home with a recently FDA-approved test kit.
The Food and Drug Administration granted emergency authorization to the single-use test kit from Lucira Health last month.
The at-home test, which is available with a prescription, is a standard nasal swab test that delivers results in less than 30 minutes.
“I think it will be another way that we can get more testing out there, another way that most patients can have access to,” said Dr. Brian Cruz, Physician One Care Regional Medical Director.
The at-home rapid test allows people to get results without having to wait in long lines, increasing the amount of testing being done.
“The more testing, the better,” Cruz said. “I think more people, if they have symptoms, it can provide reassurance on top of an actual diagnosis.”
Lucira’s test accurately detected 94 percent of infected patients, according to the company’s website.
It was only tested on people with symptoms related to COVID-19 and has not been used on people who are asymptomatic.
While the test may be more convenient, some doctors still have concerns.
“If they don’t get enough materials or particles within the self-swab, then it may come up an invalid test and so then it becomes, ‘Did they do it correctly? Is there a problem with the test?’ And so, it definitely can help you, but I think you may have some invalids because they’re not doing it properly,” Cruz said.
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