糖心vlog

COVID-19 and the flu share several of the same symptoms, like fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, and a sore throat. So it can be tough to know which illness you have when you鈥檙e not feeling well. Related video above: Here's how the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency affects youEarlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for an over-the-counter combination test for COVID-19 and the flu. The Lucira COVID-19 & Flu Home Test is a single-use test kit, where you use a nasal swab to collect your sample at home and get the results in about 30 minutes. However, the test might not be available to you any time soon. Soon after it was authorized, Lucira announced that it had filed for bankruptcy. Still, the test is a 鈥渕ajor milestone鈥� in expanding access to at-home tests for infectious diseases, Jeff Shuren, M.D., director of the FDA鈥檚 Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in February. 鈥淭he biggest benefit of a combo test is that it gives you more answers and potentially more opportunities for treatment,鈥� said Dr. Carrie Horn, chief medical officer at National Jewish Health.At-home COVID-19 tests have been widely available for a while now. If someone tested negative, they might not have sought out more testing or treatments, Horn added. Having a combo test would change that. Lucira鈥檚 test is currently the only one with an EUA for both COVID-19 and the flu. It accurately identified 99.3% of negative and 90% of positive influenza A samples and 100% of negative and 88.3% of positive COVID-19 samples, according to the FDA. It can also identify influenza B, but there weren鈥檛 enough cases in the clinical study, so more testing is needed. Other tests for both COVID-19 and the flu will likely be developed in the future, and some could also include RSV, Horn said. Here鈥檚 what you should know about the COVID-19 and flu test. 1. It could help you get treated fasterHaving a combo test can help you know for sure which illness you have, and that can help you get the best treatment faster. 鈥淏oth COVID and influenza treatments rely on early intervention to be the most effective,鈥� Horn said. 鈥淭hey need to be started within five days of symptom onset.鈥� It also helps stop the spread of the conditions, since someone with symptoms could test themselves at home, and their doctors may be able to prescribe medications without the need for a doctor鈥檚 office visit, said Dr. Keon Gilbert, a fellow at the Brookings Institution and associate professor and co-director of the Institute for Healing Justice and Equity at Saint Louis University. 鈥淎nything we can do to help people determine both their risk and whether or not they have a particular illness in the safety of their home is great,鈥� he said. 2. Insurance coverage could vary When a COVID-19-flu combo test is ordered by a health care provider, it will likely be covered by your insurance, Horn said. But, it depends on your specific plan. It鈥檚 also likely that you can pay for one with a flexible spending account. Otherwise, you鈥檒l probably have to pay for it out of pocket. Lucira said its test will be sold on its website for $34.99. 3. The test might not be available for a while A few days after Lucira received the FDA authorization for the COVID-19 and flu test, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. So, it might be some time before the test is available. Lucira said it鈥檚 looking for 鈥渁 strategic or financial partner鈥� to resume manufacturing and developing new at-home testing products. "Men's Health" reached out to Lucira for an update, but the company didn't respond. 4. The accuracy depends on taking a good sample With any at-home test, the accuracy depends on collecting a good sample. Lucira鈥檚 test uses a nasal swab, a process similar to other COVID-19 tests, and that can be a little uncomfortable, Horn said. It鈥檚 always important to follow the instructions to a T to make sure you get an accurate result, Gilbert said. False positives and negatives are a risk with any rapid diagnostic test, the FDA said. If you test positive, you should take steps to prevent spreading the illnesses, such as staying home when you鈥檙e sick and wearing a mask. If you test negative, you might want to get the results confirmed with your doctor. 5. You might still need a doctor鈥檚 evaluation At-home tests provide useful information about what might be causing you to feel sick, Gilbert said. But sometimes your symptoms need further evaluation, Horn added. 鈥淲hen people have influenza or COVID, we worry about if they have normal or low oxygen saturations, or are there other signs that the initial viral infection has progressed to pneumonia or lung damage,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese things require different treatments, and delayed treatment can lead to severe illness or death.鈥� 6. You should take steps to prevent COVID-19 and the fluCOVID-19 and the flu are contagious and can cause serious respiratory illness and even death. You can also get both conditions at the same time. So, taking steps to avoid getting sick is the best approach. Getting vaccinated is the first step in prevention. 鈥淎nnual flu shots and staying up to date with COVID vaccination and boosters as indicated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can significantly decrease the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death,鈥� Horn said.Washing your hands, using hand sanitizer, staying home when you鈥檙e sick, and wearing a mask if you must go out can keep you from spreading the illnesses, she added. And, if you鈥檙e having a high fever or difficulty breathing, seek emergency care. 鈥淲e all have to remember that we鈥檙e still susceptible to COVID-19 and the flu,鈥� Gilbert said. 鈥淧eople need to continue to think about their individual risk and how their risk intersects and interacts with our choices to be out in the world.鈥�