By Jennifer Porter Gore | Word In Black

(WIB) – Coming to local pharmacies near you: an over-the-counter rapid test that can simultaneously detect both COVID-19 and the flu, just in time for the anticipated winter surge in respiratory illnesses.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the nose swab test, created by Healgen Scientific LLC, in October. Within 15 minutes, the test can detect proteins from the viruses that cause both major types of seasonal flu and COVID-19. 

RELATED: Black Folks Still Take COVID Vaccines Seriously

It’s good news for Black Americans, for whom COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death, just behind heart disease and cancer. And Black people are more likely than whites to contract influenza severe enough to require hospitalization. 

While COVID tends to be associated with the elderly, by 2023, “in the population aged younger than 25 years, Black people comprised 51% of all-cause excess deaths despite representing 14% of the demographic population.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu symptoms and COVID-19 can overlap. The hallmarks include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, and several others. 

“The runny nose, the cough, the fever, the aches — that could be COVID, it could be influenza, it could be several other things,” Dr. Gregory Martin, a physician, and professor at Emory University School of Medicine, said in an interview with AARP. “Being able to know what it is makes a huge difference, especially for people who are at higher risk for more severe illness,” 

Antiviral medications, like Paxlovid for coronavirus infection and Tamiflu for influenza, can prevent a flu or coronavirus infection from becoming severe in high-risk individuals. However, these treatments aren’t interchangeable, so they work best when taken right after a confirmed diagnosis.  

“Putting this in the hands of consumers allows people to figure out much more quickly and easily what’s causing their symptoms,” Martin says. “And that makes a big difference for figuring out what to do next and what the treatment might be.”

RELATED: Study: Life Expectancy of Black People Shortens

Like at-home COVID-19 tests, a combo test features a nasal swab to collect a sample from each nostril. The swab is then dipped and mixed in a liquid solution, put drops from the solution in a testing cassette, and wait 15 minutes for results.

Depending on the specific test, the panel will show red or other colored lines for positive results for influenza A and B as well as COVID-19.

Individuals aged 14 or older can use the test independently, and an adult can take the sample for children aged 2 or older.  

“As we enter this year’s annual flu season with respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19 on many of our minds, our ability to detect these pathogens effectively and efficiently can be impactful on our daily lives,” Michelle Tarver, acting director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in a statement.
 
The authorization, she said, “expands the options for individuals with respiratory symptoms to receive information about their health from the comfort of their home.”  “The FDA continues to take actions that support the development and availability of at-home tests for a variety of medical conditions.”

At-home tests, which typically cost between $25 and $30 for a pack of two, are sold in pharmacies and on Amazon.