Home Use COVID-19 Test to Be Available in US Soon
2020-12-17
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1The first home test for COVID-19 that does not require a doctor's order will soon be ready for Americans.
2The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the rapid coronavirus test on Tuesday.
3It is part of an effort to expand testing in the United States, which has the most reported infections and deaths in the world.
4The test is similar to another home test approved for emergency use recently.
5But that test requires a doctor's order.
6In a statement, FDA chief Stephen Hahn said "a patient can buy it, swab their nose, run the test and find out their results in as little as 20 minutes."
7The tests can be bought at drug stores or online, but supplies will be limited at first.
8Australian manufacturer Ellume said it expects to produce 3 million tests next month before expanding production over the first half of 2021.
9The test will cost around $30.
10The test includes a nose swab, a chemical substance and a testing strip.
11A smart phone app shows and explains the test results.
12Users can also contact a health worker through the app.
13For months, health experts have centered on the need for fast and widely available home testing.
14The goal is to have people test themselves and avoid contact with others if they have an infection.
15But the large majority of tests still require a nasal swab performed by a health worker and results to be processed in a laboratory.
16Ellume's test looks for viral proteins from COVID-19.
17It is different from those that look for the genetic material of the virus.
18FDA officials noted that Ellume's test can sometimes deliver false positive and false negative results.
19People who get a negative result but have signs of coronavirus infection should talk with a health worker, the agency said.
20Currently, the U.S. is testing nearly 2 million people each day, more than any other nation.
21But most health experts agree the country needs to be testing many times more.
22Dr. Michael Mina of Harvard University called the new test "a great addition," to existing choices.
23He noted, however, that its price could limit the number of people who use it.
24He added, "I just hope it doesn't drive more of a wedge between haves and have nots."
25I'm Jonathan Evans.
1The first home test for COVID-19 that does not require a doctor's order will soon be ready for Americans. 2The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the rapid coronavirus test on Tuesday. It is part of an effort to expand testing in the United States, which has the most reported infections and deaths in the world. 3The test is similar to another home test approved for emergency use recently. But that test requires a doctor's order. 4In a statement, FDA chief Stephen Hahn said "a patient can buy it, swab their nose, run the test and find out their results in as little as 20 minutes." 5The tests can be bought at drug stores or online, but supplies will be limited at first. Australian manufacturer Ellume said it expects to produce 3 million tests next month before expanding production over the first half of 2021. The test will cost around $30. 6The test includes a nose swab, a chemical substance and a testing strip. A smart phone app shows and explains the test results. Users can also contact a health worker through the app. 7For months, health experts have centered on the need for fast and widely available home testing. The goal is to have people test themselves and avoid contact with others if they have an infection. 8But the large majority of tests still require a nasal swab performed by a health worker and results to be processed in a laboratory. 9Ellume's test looks for viral proteins from COVID-19. It is different from those that look for the genetic material of the virus. 10FDA officials noted that Ellume's test can sometimes deliver false positive and false negative results. People who get a negative result but have signs of coronavirus infection should talk with a health worker, the agency said. 11Currently, the U.S. is testing nearly 2 million people each day, more than any other nation. But most health experts agree the country needs to be testing many times more. 12Dr. Michael Mina of Harvard University called the new test "a great addition," to existing choices. He noted, however, that its price could limit the number of people who use it. He added, "I just hope it doesn't drive more of a wedge between haves and have nots." 13I'm Jonathan Evans. 14Matthew Perrone reported this story for the Associated Press. Hai Do adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. 15_____________________________________________________________ 16Words in This Story 17rapid -adj. happening quickly or in a short amount of time 18swab -v. to wipe, clean or gather 19nasal -adj. related to the nose 20wedge -n. a piece of some material that is triangular in shape and can be used to divide something, to separate, or fill a space 21We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.