The FDA has approved the first coronavirus test kit that lets people collect their own samples at home.
On Tuesday, LabCorp said it had received an emergency use authorization from the FDA to distribute the Pixel COVID-19 Test kit. The self-collection kits, which contain nasal swabs and saline, will initially be made available to health care workers and first responders who have been exposed to the virus or are showing symptoms. But LabCorp said it will expand availability "to consumers in most states ... in the coming weeks."
To get the kits, patients have to fill out a questionnaire and get a doctor's note. LabCorp ships them a kit, and then patients mail their samples to a lab for analysis.
FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said the kits will make sample collection more convenient for patients.
