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SomeGuy [soylentnews.org] writes:

NPR Reports [npr.org]: The US has made a deal with Ellume, an Australian company, to increase availably of the first non-perscription at home-rapid cronavirus test. The test, which requires a smart phone, can send results within 15 minutes of receiving a sample.

The Food and Drug Administration gave emergency authorization to Ellume's rapid test in December, after it showed 96% accuracy in a U.S. clinical study.

The test uses a relatively short nasal swab to collect a sample. The sample is put into a digital analyzer linked to a smartphone "app".

As part of the new contract, Ellume has committed to providing 8.5 million tests to the federal government.

Because of the expected $30 cost and the need for a smartphone to receive results, this particular test is unlikely to be the game-changer several public health experts have been calling for - a test that families could use routinely at home before leaving the house, to prevent silent spread.

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