With the height of cold and flu season right around the corner, it's probably a good time to stock up on preventative products like immunity boosters. But even if you are pumping vitamin C and staying active to stave off common illnesses, sometimes there's no avoiding getting sick. And often, these seasonal illnesses knock you out, making you less eager to head to the doctor for a formal diagnosis. But what if you don't have to? Thanks to a new over-the-counter (OTC) test, you can now tell if you have COVID or the flu without getting off the couch.
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Earlier this month, the Healgen Rapid Check COVID-19/Flu A&B Antigen Test became the first combination test to receive approval for marketing outside of emergency use. The test is available without a prescription and can tell you whether you have either the flu or COVID in about 15 minutes. It's the first OTC test for the flu that the FDA has given the green light for marketing through its traditional approval process, The New York Times reported. (Although other combination tests were made available "under emergency use authorization" in the last few years, the FDA noted.)
“As we enter this year’s annual flu season with respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19 on many of our minds, our ability to detect these pathogens effectively and efficiently can be impactful on our daily lives. Today’s authorization expands the options for individuals with respiratory symptoms to receive information about their health from the comfort of their home,” Michelle Tarver, MD, PhD, acting director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in the Oct. 7 press release. “The FDA continues to take actions that support the development and availability of at-home tests for a variety of medical conditions.”
According to the NYT, nine other OTC combination tests have been approved for use—including several in the last six months alone. They all work like the typical COVID antigen tests where you swab the inside of your nose and squeeze droplets onto the test. The outlet notes that they're around $30 for a pack of two but may be covered by insurance.
"It’s really a big shift in what’s available," Gregory Martin, MD, a professor at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, told the NYT.
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Experts told the outlet that if you're feeling sick, you should consider shelling out for a combination test because the flu and COVID can look and feel similar symptoms-wise. However, if you were just around someone who tested positive for COVID, you might be able to rely on a test that only looks for that virus.
The FDA press release notes that the newly-approved Healgen test correctly identified 99 percent of negative and 92 percent of positive COVID samples. Even better, it also correctly identified 99.9 percent of negative flu samples and 92.5 percent and 90.5 percent of positive Flu A and Flu B samples, respectively. According to Cleveland Clinic, Influenza A and B are the seasonal infections that most people contract in the winter and present more severe symptoms.
