Federal health authorities have authorized the first coronavirus antigen point-of-care test.

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday issued emergency use authorization for the Sofia 2 SARS Antigen FIA made by Quidel Corporation. Like an in-office flu test, the diagnostic is administered using a nasal swab. Results are processed on proprietary instruments and can be available in 15 minutes, according to the San Diego-based manufacturer.

The test’s key advantages are cost effectiveness and scalability, the FDA said in a Saturday release. Once the Sofia 2 is joined by other approved antigen diagnostics, “millions of Americans per day” could be tested, helping to better identify infection rates closer to real time, it projected.

COVID-19 testing in the United States is currently performed using polymerase chain reaction tests, which are “incredibly accurate,” but have relatively longer turnaround times, the FDA added. There is a comparative disadvantage to antigen tests however. They do not detect all active infections, and negative results may therefore need to be confirmed with a polymerase chain reaction test.