January 11, 2023 – When a fever, sore throat or cough strikes, symptoms point to many possible illnesses. Common culprits include flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or COVID-19. Americans are actually accustomed to purchasing at-home COVID test kits, taking a swab, waiting and interpreting the outcomes themselves. But what about home tests for the flu?
In Europe, it’s now possible to purchase a house test that checks not just for COVID, but additionally for flu and RSV, for about $7. The company that makes the test, Shenzhen Microprofit Biotech Co. Ltd.doesn’t plan to hunt FDA approval any time soon, NBC News reported.
In AustraliaCombined home self-tests for flu and COVID have been available since September last 12 months.
For anyone within the U.S. who doesn't need to go to a clinic to get tested for flu or RSV, there may be an choice to get tested at home. But it could cost as much as $169 and it takes a number of days to get the outcomes after arranging a pickup through FedEx or a pickup location. The Pixel test is on the market from Labcorp and tests for COVID, flu and RSV. According to Labcorp, insurance can cover the whole cost of the test in some cases and results can be found online.
Rapid tests for flu and RSV will not be available within the U.S. due to strict FDA criteria and concerns that the nasal swab wouldn’t be deep enough for accurate test results, experts told NBC News.
“It's not uncommon that things that have been approved in other countries are great products that we don't have here. That's just the reality,” Susan Butler-Wu, PhD, associate professor of clinical pathology on the University of Southern California, told NBC News. “It takes time to go through the process and get approved.”
FDA officials declined to comment on whether applications for combined testing are currently being processed.