Rapid tests for Covid, RSV and flu are available in Europe. What's stopping them in the U.S.?

The FDA's lengthy regulatory process and concerns about people being able to self-test properly have prevented rapid tests for Covid, RSV and flu from reaching the U.S.

Sander Brus didn't expect a photo of his friend's grandfather's flu diagnosis to go viral. But when he shared the image on Twitter in December, he was bombarded with messages, he said.

People in the U.S. wanted to know how to purchase the rapid test in the picture, which simultaneously screened people for three common respiratory viruses: Covid, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and two types of influenza, A and B.

The viruses have circulated widely this winter and share many of the same symptoms, meaning they're often indistinguishable without a diagnostic test. But unlike Covid tests, which are available over the counter, RSV and flu tests must be performed at a doctor’s office or ordered via prescription. And the FDA hasn't authorized an at-home test that can rapidly detect all three viruses at once.

The rapid test from Brus' photo, however, is available in the European Union, and the manufacturer has certified that it meets the E.U.'s health and safety standards.

Brus is the founder of Measie, a diagnostics vendor that sells the test online. The test costs 6.5 euros ($6.92), and the company has sold around 10,000 of them thus far, Brus said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/rapid-tests-covid-rsv-flu-are-available-europe-stopping-us-rcna64470


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