Good news for anyone who is tired of swab tests…the FDA has authorized the first Covid-19 test that uses breath samples to deliver results in less than five minutes.
Named the InspectIR Covid-19 Breathalyzer, the FDA reports that it will give results in approximately three minutes and that if it tests positive they’ll follow it up with the molecular test.
In a study of 2,409 people, the breathalyzer correctly identified positive samples 91.2% of the time.
The agency cautioned that the test must be administered by a trained operator. The machine itself is the size of a carry-on bag.