New at-home coronavirus test gets FDA approval. This one only needs your saliva

A new at-home coronavirus test kit has been approved by the FDA, the administration announced Friday, and all it requires is a saliva sample.

Another home testing kit approved last month requires a nasal swab, the more established method that is also seen as more invasive. Users complained of discomfort and some weren’t able to collect proper samples for testing, Market Watch reported.

The spit test, developed by Rutgers University, is the only authorized saliva-based COVID-19 test available, according to the FDA. The FDA had given emergency approval for the saliva test in mid-April, but could only be administered by Rutgers in New Jersey.

The home kit is priced at around $100 and can only be ordered through a physician, the university told The New York Times.

Here’s how it works

When the test arrives at your home, simply spit in the provided tube, put it into a sealed package and ship it off to Rutgers Clinical Genomics Laboratory, according to the FDA.

Testing is a simple process but can take a few days because of the time it takes to ship.

Some health experts have criticized the wait time for at-home testing results, according to The Times. An individual may show no signs of infection on the day they shipped their sample, but become sick later on and receive results that are no longer accurate.

This story was originally published May 8, 2020 at 3:41 PM with the headline "New at-home coronavirus test gets FDA approval. This one only needs your saliva."