Coronavirus Watch: Is it flu or COVID? A new test can differentiate.

Is it flu or is it COVID?

If you've ever asked yourself that question, you'll be glad to know there's a new test that can differentiate between the two — and you can get it without a prescription. 

The FDA last week authorized the combo flu-COVID test from medical technology company Lucira Health. It has already been authorized in Canada and sells for about $70 there. (Insurance coverage may affect how much you pay.)

The bad news is you'll still need to do a nasal swab. Read more from reporter Mike Snider here.

This is the Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's what we're reading this week:

• COVID's origin: The Energy Department has concluded (with "low confidence") the pandemic most likely began after an unintentional lab leak in China, per the Wall Street Journal. There are two competing theories about how COVID emerged and neither has had enough evidence so far to be conclusive. Read more here. 
• $3.6 trillion: That's the estimated economic loss that resulted from the 1 million Americans who died of COVID between February 2020 and May 2022, according to a new study.
• Infants younger than 6 months were protected against COVID if their mother was vaccinated with two doses during pregnancy, a study finds. The vaccines were 95% effective at preventing infants from getting the delta variant and 45% effective at protecting against omicron. 

A note about next week's newsletter: We'll be sending you the latest updates on Wednesday instead of Monday, so watch your inbox later in the week. 

As always, thanks for trusting Paste BN with this important information.

– Rachel Aretakis, health editor