On Tuesday, the FDA announcedits very first authorization of an at-home test, made by the company Labcorp.
Three other private companiesEverlywell,Scanwell Health, andNurxrecently announced the release of their at-home COVID-19 tests.
But what are these at-home tests, and how effective are they?
Heres everything you gotta know.
The test is then overnighted to the patient.
(The kit also includes materials to disinfect the outside of the packaging.)
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The whole process from start to finish takes between three to five days, she says.
Nurxs at-home test works similarly, with comparable steps in place if someone tests positive for COVID-19.
Its Amazing How Its All Connected.
Users scan an image of the cassettes and upload it to the app.
Then, its analyzed by medical professionals atLemonaid, a telemedicine service.
The results are not showed to the patient using the app.
Instead, a doctor is contacting them directly and giving them the results, Chen says.
One obvious benefit is providing more tests to more people.
It will also help a lot with anxiety reduction.
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But Dr. Desai says theres a major downside with at-home testing: accuracy, particularly with nasal swabs.
Its a good test, but it isnt agreattest, says Dr. Desai.
But the risk for error is even higher at home.
Theres a big difference between detecting the virus on day one versus day 14, he says.
(It has the lowest accuracy if taken within the first two days of contracting the novel coronavirus.)
But again, if someone takes their sample inaccurately at home, then it could lead to inaccurate results.
Another downside: the price.
(Not exactly great in terms of increasing access to testing.)
The biggest obstacle is securing enough supplies, she says.
So every six or seven years, this has happened with coronaviruses.
It would be almost shocking if it didnt happen again.
This piece was originally published on March 20, 2020.
It was updated on April 22, 2020.
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