The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval to a home diagnostic test, which identifies COVID19 and influenza A and B, both infections with the help of patients’ samples. This test has been designed by Quest Diagnostics. It has been made for prescription use for those people who have a respiratory viral infection, which is consistent with the symptoms of COVID19. The officials from the agency have said that the usage of the test for home collection will be determined by patients’ health care providers. They have said that on the recommendation of healthcare providers, patients can take a home sample and send it to Quest Diagnostics lab for further testing. Instruction for collecting the sample and shipping are enclosed along with the diagnostic kit, said the experts. The FDA has approved the diagnostic test to help in the ongoing fight against the COVID19 pandemic. It will be quite helpful in the middle of flu season as well, said the health experts.
The FDA Commissioner Stephen M Hahn has said that the combination test, with just one sample or swab collected at home, can deliver results to people at the comfort and safety of their homes. The new diagnostic test for influenza A and B and COVID19 will help patients to stay in quarantine while waiting for their test results. The effectiveness of this test can be a greater help for those people who are suffering from an unknown respiratory illness. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported recently that the flu activity has been lower than usual this year than the last year. Experts from the agency have said that in the wake of the ongoing COVID19 pandemic, this flu season needs to be handled with caution. They have said that the flu vaccine will be able to provide some immunity to people against flu and it will prevent poor outcomes of pregnancy due to flu infection as well. The findings of the study have been released in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The study has shown that flu infection during pregnancy is linked with a higher risk of miscarriage and reduced birth weight.
A meta-analysis has looked at various interventions, which are used to inoculate healthcare workers against influenza. The authors of the study have said that mandatory vaccination policies have been an efficient measure in reaching high overall inoculation covers. They have said that versatile campaigns including on-site vaccination, vaccination stands, and educational and promotional drives and incentive should be introduced in clinics where these policies are infeasible. The authors of the research have said that the points they have taken while studying flu vaccine policies should be implemented in COVID19 vaccine campaigns in the future. Experts from the Tulane University School of Medicine have explained some barriers to ‘twindemic’ vaccination for COVID19 and flu in their article, which has been published in the journal of The National Medical Association. They have said that African Americans face a low level of flu inoculation due to a number of reasons such as distrust of orthodox drugs, safety issues, and hurdles to vaccine access. They fear that there might be a low uptake of the COVID19 vaccine as well in this community. The COVID19 pandemic has unduly has hit African Americans in the US.
