FDA Gives Kroger Green Light For At-Home COVID-19 Tests

The Food and Drug Administration granted an Emergency Use Authorization for grocery chain Kroger Co KR to provide workers with an at-home COVID-19 testing kit, the company said in a press release.

What Happened: The new Kroger Health COVID-19 Home Collection Kit will be offered to frontline associates based on priority of medical need, the company said.

The kit consists of a nasal swab specimen along with an option to speak with an expert through a video telehealth service.

The kit is the result of a partnership with the CLIA laboratory Gravity Diagnostics. The Kentucky-based diagnostics company wanted to improve testing capabilities in its home state and nationwide, according to the release. 

Why It's Important: Kroger and Gravity's partnership will allow the two organizations to make testing across the nation more widespread through an at-home process that offers an identical quality, compliance and patient experience compared to other forms of testing, the companies said. 

What's Next: Kroger will then rapidly expand the availability of the testing kit with the goal of processing up to 60,000 kits per week by the end of July.

In comparison, Gravity Diagnostics has processed more than 250,000 COVID-19 samples.

The partnership positions the small laboratory to expand rapidly, and it is in the process of hiring new personnel and acquiring new equipment and space.

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