Our editors independently selected these items because we thought you would like them and might like them at these prices. If you purchase goods through our link, we may receive a commission. As of the time of publication, pricing and availability are accurate. Learn more about shopping today.
When the pandemic first started, people had to wait in line for hours to be tested for Covid, but now the company is selling kits for diagnosing infections at home. As Americans pay more attention to Covid variants, and due to the increase in positive cases, mask guidelines across the country have changed, you may consider testing. We discussed with experts the different home Covid testing methods and how they work, and who should use them.
We have also collected FDA-authorized test kits, which you can use at home and buy at retailers. Experts emphasized that home testing is not a substitute for wearing masks or vaccinations, and emphasized that home testing methods may show incorrect results. Regardless of your vaccination status, no one should be exempt from Covid testing if they have compatible symptoms.
Like KN95 masks and Covid vaccines, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued emergency use authorizations for certain diagnostic tests and listed them online. There are two ways to test at home:
Colbil, MD, director of COVID-1 symptom testing at Indiana University, pointed out that the advantage of Covid testing methods at home is that they allow people to be tested more frequently, which may lead to more infections and reduce transmission. 19 Medical Response Team and Assistant Professor of IU School of Medicine. However, it is dangerous to derive false sense of security from home test methods because they are generally not as sensitive as the tests performed by medical office professionals.
“These tests need to be used with caution,” Biller said. “If you have high-risk exposure and/or have symptoms and your test result is negative, it is still worthwhile to have a formal test in a hospital laboratory.”
Dr. Omai Garner, Director of Health Clinical Microbiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, said that the best diagnostic Covid test is the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. He said that no PCR test is approved for home testing, which means that “the most accurate Covid test cannot be done entirely at home.” Home test kits are not as accurate as PCR tests performed by professional laboratories, because home tests (sometimes called “rapid tests”) require more virus in the sample to test for a positive result. If the test is too early, only low levels of virus may be present in the sample, which may lead to inaccurate results.
Home collection tests generally produce more accurate results than home test kits. Collecting the kit at home will prompt you to collect the sample and mail the sample to the laboratory-the laboratory performs a PCR test, and then you get the results in a day or two. The home test kit does not require you to send samples to the laboratory for testing.
So is the home test method reliable? Sharon Nachman, MD, director of the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, explained that the answer is complicated, and it usually comes down to who is tested, when the test is performed, and the type of test used.
She said: “If you have symptoms and are tested because you don’t want to bring sick to work, then home testing will be very helpful.” “But if you feel good, you may need to be tested more frequently than today to ensure that you can be tested next week. Keep traveling.”
Household collection and testing kits are divided into two categories on the FDA list: molecular diagnostic tests and antigen diagnostic tests. The most famous type of molecular test is the PCR test. Each detected a different part of the Covid virus. The similarity between these two tests is that they can diagnose infections and are performed on nose or throat swabs. From there, the methods are different, and experts say these differences determine the reliability of the tests and how you should use them.
Although there is no approved home-based PCR test, you can collect a sample for PCR testing at home and then mail the sample to the laboratory. After the laboratory receives the sample, the expert will test it, and you will receive the result in a few days.
“These home collection kits have better accuracy than home test kits,” Garner said. “This is because the gold standard PCR tests are run on samples, and the people who run the tests are professionals.”
After taking the nasal swab, mail it back to the laboratory, where the laboratory will perform the PCR test and provide your results online. You can get results within 48 hours after the kit arrives in the laboratory, and the kit carries an overnight return label. The brand stated that the test collection kit can be used for children 3 years and older.
You can purchase this Covid test collection kit separately or a pack of 10. It uses saliva samples, and the kit comes with a prepaid express return shipping fee. Results can be obtained within 24 to 72 hours after the sample arrives in the laboratory.
Everlywell’s Covid test collection kit is designed for people 18 years and older. You collect the nasal swab and mail the sample to the laboratory. The laboratory performs a PCR test and provides a digital result within 24 to 28 hours after the sample arrives in the laboratory. If your result is positive, the telemedicine consultant can provide you with guidance for free.
This kit is suitable for children 2 years of age and older, and provides you with the materials needed to collect nasal swab samples and return them to the laboratory for PCR testing. After the sample arrives in the laboratory, it usually takes one to two days to receive the results.
Amazon’s Covid test collection kit allows you to perform a nasal swab and mail the sample to Amazon’s laboratory, which includes a prepaid UPS next-day delivery service. You can receive the results within 24 hours after the sample arrives in the laboratory. This test is for individuals 18 years and older.
Like the home collection kit, the home testing kit requires you to collect a sample, but instead of mailing the sample to the laboratory, it is tested on the spot. This allows you to receive results within a few minutes, which is why these tests are sometimes called “quick breaks”.
Some home test kits advertise that they can screen for Covid in asymptomatic individuals. Ghana said he “didn’t agree at all” because you can’t perform a PCR test at home-the most accurate Covid test. Therefore, Ghana believes that home testing kits are not suitable for asymptomatic testing, and all the experts we interviewed agree with this.
However, for symptom testing, Ghana said that the home test performed well-he explained that there is usually more virus in the body, reaching the threshold that the home test can cover.
In addition, Nachman points out that most home test kits come with two tests, and it is recommended that you take multiple tests every few days-according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this is called a continuous test. Especially for asymptomatic adults, on the first day of your test at home, it may not be able to detect the virus, and your result may be negative-this may be wrong. Therefore, the CDC states that “you may test positive during your illness” and emphasizes why a series of tests are recommended.
The kit comes with two tests for continuous testing-the brand says you should test yourself twice within 3 days, at least 36 hours apart. It provides the materials needed for nasal swabs and actual tests using test cards and treatment fluids. Results are ready within 15 minutes, and the test can be used for people 2 years and older.
Ellume’s test kit comes with a Bluetooth-enabled analyzer, which needs to be connected to a smartphone through a companion app to manage and receive the results. This kit provides you with the materials needed to perform a test with a nasal swab sample. Results can be obtained in 15 minutes, and can be used over 2 years old.
The kit is sold separately or in a pack of 45, and is designed to allow you to perform two tests in two to three days with an interval of 24 to 36 hours. You collect a nasal swab sample and immerse it in a solution tube with a test strip for testing. The results are ready in about 10 minutes and the test kit can be used for people 2 years and older.
According to the CDC, “Anyone with symptoms can use the self-test, regardless of their vaccination status”, and “Non-vaccinated people who have not been vaccinated with COVID-19 symptoms can also use the self-test, especially if They may have been exposed to new coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19): COVID-19: COVID-19.” The CDC said that individuals who are fully vaccinated should also pay attention to specific testing guidelines.
As for children, some families collect and test kits to advertise that they are suitable for children 2 years and older. However, Nachman said she was unaware of the research on these tests, including children with or without symptoms. Although people usually think that the test used for adults can also be used for children, she said that there is not enough data to give a clear answer.
Finally, in order to fulfill CDC’s international travel Covid testing order, you can use home collection or testing kits. However, travelers can only use options that meet a very specific set of guidelines listed on their website.
Nachman said that each collection and test suite is different and requires its own specific set of procedures, so it is important to read the instructions and follow them strictly before starting. “It sounds silly to say, but it’s actually very important to read the instructions carefully,” she said.
In addition, when you get results from a collection or test suite, they are simply reported to you, not explained, Nachman said. Therefore, it is very important to call your primary care doctor—especially if you test positive—to learn how to proceed. She said: “The test conducted at home is designed to provide you with information and hope that you can seek help to process the results, especially if there is a positive result.”
Finally, Ghana said that some tests require the use of supporting apps, so before buying a home collection or test kit, you should make sure that your smartphone is compatible with it. Although Covid tests in walk-in clinics, hospitals and medical offices are usually free or covered by insurance, he pointed out that this is usually not the case when collecting and testing kits at home.
Get the latest information from NBC News shopping guides and recommendations, and download the NBC News app to fully cover the coronavirus outbreak.
Post time: Aug-30-2021