New coronavirus testing methods begin to emerge

In today’s coronavirus medical update, we’re going to talk about new developments on the testing front.

We recently heard that the U.S. Air Force just signed a $13 million agreement with a startup company called Curative Inc. The hope is to develop kits to test saliva for the presence of COVID-19. It’s similar logistically to how ancestry services work — you spit in a tube, it gets sent off to a lab, and the sample is tested for the virus.

Meanwhile, LabCorps has now received emergency use authorization from the FDA allowing nasal swab specimens to be collected at home.

However, there’s a caveat — at least for now, these at-home tests are available only to frontline health care workers and first responders.

Listen to Tracy Taylor’s ongoing coronavirus updates on the :40’s weekdays on KIRO Radio 97.3 FM.