Combination flu and COVID-19 tests are in the works for virus season

Cue has a COVID-19 test and wants to add on a flu test. | Photo by Victoria Song / The VergeThe past two years have seen relatively quiet flu seasons — a welcome development as hospitals and the public health system focused on managing waves of COVID-19. But experts are expecting flu to make a comeback this winter, and people will need to differentiate between the two illnesses with very similar symptoms.
At-home testing companies are asking the Food and Drug Administration to authorize combination tests that can scan for both COVID-19 and influenza in a single sample. Lucira Health asked the agency to sign off on its dual test in May, and Cue Health announced Tuesday that it submitted a request on September 30. The FDA authorized a combination test made by Labcorp in May, but that test requires people to swab their nose and…

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