First COVID-19 Antigen Test Gets FDA Go-Ahead

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an emergency use authorization for the first COVID-19 antigen test.  

This is a new type of test “designed for rapid detection of the virus that causes COVID-19”.

Antigen tests are very specific in their design, which means that positive results “are highly accurate”. However, the FDA warned this same feature means “there is a higher chance of false negatives”.

As manufacturers begin producing these antigen tests, the FDA anticipates enough tests being made “to test millions of Americans per day”.

(An emergency use authorization is different than FDA approval, and can be terminated or revoked at any time.)