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LabCorp gets authorization for at-home COVID-19 test

You may soon be able to see if you have the coronavirus by testing yourself at home, thanks to a Triad-based company.

BURLINGTON, N.C. — You may soon be able to test yourself for COVID-19 at home, thanks to LabCorp. The Triad-based company just received authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that allows swab specimens to be collected at home if it's recommended by a healthcare provider. 

The FDA gave Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to the Pixel by LabCorp At-Home Kit. The company said it comes with everything you need to collect a nasal swab sample and send it back to their lab. Right now, LabCorp has a limited number of kits and is prioritizing healthcare workers and first responders who have been exposed to COVID-19 or are showing symptoms.

According to their website, to get the test you must take an eligibility survey before you purchase the kit. It's listed online at $119. LabCorp will mail the test to you, and after you collect your sample, you'll send it back. The results of the test will be available online. 

While most COVID-19 tests involve a swab sample from deep within a person's nasal cavity, a video on LabCorp's website says the Pixel test only requires a patient swab of the edge of his nostrils a few times. 

The kit has not been cleared or approved by the FDA but authorized under an EUA to test for COVID-19 only. This means the test is only available through the duration of the coronavirus emergency.

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