The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reissued the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Self Test from Abbott Diagnostics Scarborough Inc. The BinaxNOW COVID-19 self test gives results in 15 minutes and can be used:

  • Without a prescription.
  • As a single test for people with COVID-19 symptoms.
  • As a serial test for people without COVID-19 symptoms, meaning the test must be done twice over three days.
  • For people age 15 years and older with a self-collected nasal swab sample or people age two years and older when an adult collects the nasal swab sample.

The FDA reissued the EUA to authorize use of BinaxNOW as a single test without a prescription for people with COVID-19 symptoms. The test was already authorized for use as a serial test without a prescription by people with or without COVID-19 symptoms and as a single use test with a prescription for symptomatic people who are suspected of COVID-19 by their healthcare provider.

According to the agency, the FDA is committed to increasing the availability of appropriately accurate and reliable at-home COVID-19 diagnostic tests and to facilitating consumer access to these tests.