Watch: Instant Delivery of COVID-19 Tests 

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The first FDA-authorized at-home COVID-19 test was successfully delivered by drone. Within the framework of a partnership between Flirtey, a drone delivery company, and Vault Health, a platform of supervised COVID-19 testing, saliva-based COVID-19 test kits were delivered to homes helping eliminate exposure risks and creating further convenience, especially for those who do not live in proximity to on-site testing locations. 

The test kits were carried by a Flirtey Eagle delivery drone, which autonomously hovered and lowered the test kits, enabling safe delivery of the packages into the backyard of a residential area in Northern Nevada, report uasvision.com. 

Once the packages were delivered, the local residents accessed a secure video call with a health professional to supervise their saliva sample collection for the COVID-19 test. Drone delivery of the test kits was faster than traditional mail, reducing the shipping process by up to 48 hours, which could lead to quicker results and reduce risk of asymptomatic spread.

Flirtey is expanding its testing programs, working closely with the FAA on Type Certification, which will enable wide-scale use of their technology for commercial and life-saving applications.