LUCIRA® by Pfizer COVID-19 & Flu Home Test, First and Only at-Home Molecular Test for COVID-19 and Flu A/B, Single-Use, Results in 30 Minutes, Emergency Use Authorized (EUA)

At the selling price this device is amazing. It's battery powered and it does an actual PCR test for covid, flu a and flu b just like you'd get at a clinic. So as long as you get a good swab it's much more sensitive than an antigen test. The LEDs for + and - for all three tests are obvious and easy to read. My wife was negative for flu 3 times with the usual home antigen test, even though symptomatic of something... This thing eliminated the ambiguity. Flu a + lit up after about 10 minutes. The two negatives took the full promised 30 mimutes to process.Collecting the sample swab and stirring it around in the liquid works just like the antigen tests you've done a bunch already. Only difference is next step is capping the vial and pressing it down in the test unit. Then just relax and watch the lights. You won't need a magnifying glass to interpret, that's for sure.It seems wasteful to trash the whole thing, but that's what they'll have to do at the clinic with the professional cartridge that wholesales for twice as much and still needs a $100k machine to process! Plus you've got a pair of mostly good AA batteries to keep when you're done.Worth it?It's maybe 10x what you'd pay for an antigen test when bought in multipack, you trash a single use device, and it takes 30 minutes vs 10 or 15. OTOH it produces a more confident result that's much easier to read as well.Vs a doctor's visit, it's more convenient, Prime delivery is about the same time frame as getting an appointment and you don't go anyehere. If you're cash pay, this could save you over $100. Otherwise YMMV with your insurance . It won't write you a doctor's note, if you meed that, and it doesn't do RSV that the office test probably will include.The device I received had an expiration date about 4.5 months in the future.

While these are more expensive than the others, one test to rule out three illnesses is super helpful. This Christmas brought Covid, unfortunately. The test is easy to administer and has a very clear positive or negative. The test lit up quickly and clearly with that positive, while it took a bit longer for the other results to come through. Thankfully, no flu. I was able to get paxlovid quickly as a result.I have used a few of these previously and my only complaint is when there is an invalid test result, I wish we could submit online for a new test.

This is one of the first combo tests for flu and COVID-19. By training, I am a microbiologist and infectious disease epidemiologist. Thus, I ordered some of these new tests to see how well they worked and how easy they were. As additional background, I have run infectious disease laboratories and have designed diagnostic assays. Thus, having an at-home test is always a nice luxury.The instructions were easy to use. I will note that when you put the vial in the reader, do not push it all the way down, as that is when the test will actually start. So be sure to mix your swab in the buffer (purple liquid) for the appropriate time and then cap the viral and push down.I ran the first test (far left in the picture) and within 10 minutes it came up as positive for influenza B. Currently, in the US, in my age bracket, flu B makes up about 17% of diagnosed cases, so the biological rationale is that this could be real. However, I was asymptomatic and was only running the test to see how easy it was to run. I then retested on a rapid antigen test that included SARS-CoV-2, Flu A, Flu B, and RSV. These unfortunately are not available in the US but I had some left over from a trip to Europe. That was negative for all of those pathogens. Since these molecular tests have a lower limit of detection (meaning they can detect small amounts of viral nucleic acid compared to rapid antigen tests). However I did buy four of the Lucira tests, so I ran another one (far right in the photo). That came back negative for all of the pathogens.This is highly concerning. Given no diagnostic test is perfect, had I only had one test on hand and no way to corroborate the first test result I would have been isolating thinking that I had influenza B. When in actuality, it seems most likely that the first test was a false positive result. Looking at the Instructions for Use on the FDA website, it shows for Flu B, that in 364 PCR negative samples, 1 was positive on the Lucira test. So there is always a possibility that you test results may not be accurate. However, it was curious that this happened the first time I used this assay.I would personally avoid this product. I have been using many of the at-home tests for the past few years and have NEVER had a false positive. Thus, this has put much doubt into the results and the technology behind this product. This is the only molecular combo assay for SARS-CoV-2 and Flu on the market at this point, but others will be released shortly and I would interpret these results carefully. Really, I would love if they refunded me the cost of one test, but I won't hold my breath there.

Outstanding product. We returned from a trip to the Caribbean last weekend and on Monday night felt like we'd been hit by a truck. Instant high fever with headache and dry cough. Sure seemed like the flu, but I had these tests on hand, so we used them. Watching the test work was fascinating; it found Flu A within 15 minutes, so that light went steady, but the test kept "working," looking to make sure that Flu B and/or Covid wasn't also present. The result was super clear, and the insight was a relief (to know that it wasn't another more serious illness such as a mosquito-borne tropical disease.) I know these tests are pricey, but - for heaven's sake - they use the same technology as used in laboratories with at-home convenience and will detect the molecular presence of a virus often before the person is even infectious. The COVID-only version of these tests probably saved a life in my family as one flagged someone with COVID before they had any symptoms (and before they could infect a high-risk family member) during the Omicron wave. If you have the money, they are worth every penny. If you don't, check with your insurance to see if they are partially covered. (And, let's all lobby the gov't to make these tests fully covered, as the potential for reducing spread is invaluable.) Bottom line: highly recommend.