VOA慢速英语2020--新冠家庭测试盒即将在美国上市

The first home test for COVID-19 that does not require a doctor's order will soon be ready for Americans.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the rapid coronavirus test on Tuesday. It is part of an effort to expand testing in the United States, which has the most reported infections and deaths in the world.

The test is similar to another home test approved for emergency use recently. But that test requires a doctor's order.

In a statement, FDA chief Stephen Hahn said "a patient can buy it, swab their nose, run the test and find out their results in as little as 20 minutes."

The tests can be bought at drug stores or online, but supplies will be limited at first. Australian manufacturer Ellume said it expects to produce 3 million tests next month before expanding production over the first half of 2021. The test will cost around $30.

The test includes a nose swab, a chemical substance and a testing strip. A smart phone app shows and explains the test results. Users can also contact a health worker through the app.

For months, health experts have centered on the need for fast and widely available home testing. The goal is to have people test themselves and avoid contact with others if they have an infection.

But the large majority of tests still require a nasal swab performed by a health worker and results to be processed in a laboratory.

Ellume's test looks for viral proteins from COVID-19. It is different from those that look for the genetic¹ material of the virus.

FDA officials noted² that Ellume's test can sometimes deliver false positive and false negative results. People who get a negative result but have signs of coronavirus infection should talk with a health worker, the agency said.

Currently³, the U.S. is testing nearly 2 million people each day, more than any other nation. But most health experts agree the country needs to be testing many times more.

Dr. Michael Mina of Harvard University called the new test "a great addition," to existing choices. He noted, however, that its price could limit the number of people who use it. He added, "I just hope it doesn't drive more of a wedge⁴ between haves and have nots."

Words in This Story

rapid –adj. happening quickly or in a short amount of time

swab –v. to wipe, clean or gather

nasal –adj. related to the nose

wedge –n. a piece of some material that is triangular in shape and can be used to divide something, to separate, or fill a space

1 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

4 wedge   

n.楔子，楔形物；vt.楔住，嵌，挤进；vi.被卡住

参考例句：

• Put a wedge under the door so that it will stay open.在门下面插个楔，好让门开着。
• The box won't wedge into such a narrow space.那盒无法塞进那么小的地方去。