The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it has approved the first authorized at-home coronavirus test. The test will be made available first to health care workers and first responders, and is expected to go on sale for consumers in most states within weeks.
The test, called the Pixel, is a nasal swab kit developed and sold by LabCorp. Patients will collect their own samples using a special sterile swab provided in the kit and then send it in to one of the company’s labs for analysis.
The FDA said it granted the company emergency approval to get the tests out sooner. The test kit costs $119, and potential customers must complete a survey about their eligibility for testing before receiving one. The test’s website says it will not be available in New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Rhode Island. New York and New Jersey are the two states with the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths.
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