NYT Yet again this winter, millions of Americans will wonder if a nagging cough or body aches is a sign they’re coming down with Covid or the flu. This time, they’ll have an expanded array of tools to get an answer without leaving the house.
There are now nine at-home tests that can detect the coronavirus and influenza at the same time. Many of the tests, which can be sold over the counter, were just approved in the last six months.
“It’s really a big shift in what’s available,” said Dr. Gregory Martin, a professor at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.
The Food and Drug Administration approved most of the Covid-and-flu combination tests under emergency protocols in 2023 and 2024. Earlier this month, the agency also authorized the first of these combination tests, made by the health care equipment company Healgen, under its traditional, more rigorous approval process.