Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is COVID-19 Home Testing?What Are the Types of At-Home COVID Tests?How Accurate Are COVID Home Tests?How Much Do COVID Home Tests Cost?Where Can I Get a COVID Home Test?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is COVID-19 Home Testing?
What Are the Types of At-Home COVID Tests?
How Accurate Are COVID Home Tests?
How Much Do COVID Home Tests Cost?
Where Can I Get a COVID Home Test?
Weeks of testing delays and even faulty testing kits crippled the early response to theCOVID-19pandemic in the United States. As Americans fought to get tested and COVID-19 cases rose around the world, a new market emerged—at-home testing for the novel coronavirus.
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Health leaders looked for ways to test for the virus without exposing people who were sick or healthcare workers. From online screening tools to virtual tracking, curbside testing to mail-in swabs, COVID testing in the United States took many forms throughout the pandemic.
In an effort to reduce regulatory bottlenecks, the FDA granted special authorizations to speed up the approval process for many COVID-related medical devices, including test kits. The FDA issued an emergency use authorization for their use.There are now both mail-in and at-home tests for detecting COVID-19.
There are a few ways to detect the novel coronavirus in a test. Most recently,antibody testsare being offered to detect past infection or immunity, However, more important is the ability to test for an active coronavirus infection that can be passed on from one person to another. Active COVID-19 infections can be diagnosed using two types of tests: molecular tests and antigen tests.
Molecular Tests
These tests check bodily fluids—usually collected using a throat, nasal, or saliva swab—for genetic material that can only come from the novel coronavirus. Initially, these tests were available only through healthcare facilities—and only with a healthcare provider’s order.
As the pandemic progressed and more options became available, mail-in and then at-home tests are now offered. The testing methods have improved, and wait times for test results dropped from days to minutes.
What Is a Molecular Test?A molecular test checks for certain genes, proteins, or other molecules in a sample of tissue, blood, or other body fluids. The molecular test used to check for COVID-19 is a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT).
What Is a Molecular Test?
A molecular test checks for certain genes, proteins, or other molecules in a sample of tissue, blood, or other body fluids. The molecular test used to check for COVID-19 is a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT).
It is approved for use in those 14 years old and over and for adult collection for children ages 2 to 13 at home, but is authorized to be used in people of all ages in healthcare settings.
Those who test negative for COVID-19 but experience COVID-like symptoms should follow up with their healthcare provider since negative results do not necessarily rule out COVID-19 or another respiratory virus. They should also take steps to reduce the spread of illness to others.
Antigen Tests
Antigen tests can also detect active coronavirus infections. These tests identify small protein fragments called antigens that the virus sheds. They are commonly used in the diagnosis of respiratory pathogens, including the influenza viruses. These tests provide results in minutes. The same technology is used to detect pregnancy andstrep throat.
Antigen tests can be used for screening in high-risk congregate settings in which repeat testing could quickly identify COVID-19 and inform infection prevention and control measures.In this case, and especially in settings where a rapid test turnaround time is required, there is value in providing immediate results with antigen tests.
What Is an Antigen?
Due to the hasty nature of the approval of many COVID-19 tests, as well as a lack of good data on test results, it’s difficult to say how accurate home testing is.The FDA found that some fully at-home COVID tests can be as accurate as 96% for negative test results and 100% for positive test results.For now, a NAAT test is considered the gold standard in COVID-19 testing.
CVS is selling four at-home COVID tests in its stores, and prices range from about $10 to $19.Walmart also sells a number of home COVID testing kits.
Kits that require a prescription, use home sample collection and lab testing, or use other mail-in methods have been available for some time through a variety of retailers, including online sellers like Amazon and even individual laboratories.
Walgreens offersfree COVID-19 PCR Test Home Collection Kits. To use the test, customers must register their kit with Labcorp and provide their demographic information.
What If My Test Is Positive?If you test positive for COVID-19 using an at-home test, call a healthcare provider to discuss your diagnosis andtreatmentoptions. Certain treatments can make your symptoms less severe and shorten the length of time you are sick.To reduce the chances of spreading COVID, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you:Isolate at home until you’ve been fever-free for 24 hours (without taking fever-reducing medication) AND your symptoms are mild and improving.Take additional precautions for five days following isolation, such as wearing a well-fitting mask, keeping a distance from others, and washing your hands often.
What If My Test Is Positive?
If you test positive for COVID-19 using an at-home test, call a healthcare provider to discuss your diagnosis andtreatmentoptions. Certain treatments can make your symptoms less severe and shorten the length of time you are sick.To reduce the chances of spreading COVID, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you:Isolate at home until you’ve been fever-free for 24 hours (without taking fever-reducing medication) AND your symptoms are mild and improving.Take additional precautions for five days following isolation, such as wearing a well-fitting mask, keeping a distance from others, and washing your hands often.
If you test positive for COVID-19 using an at-home test, call a healthcare provider to discuss your diagnosis andtreatmentoptions. Certain treatments can make your symptoms less severe and shorten the length of time you are sick.
To reduce the chances of spreading COVID, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you:
A Word From Verywell
Testing is crucial to controlling the spread of COVID-19. Early testing efforts encountered many problems, but new tools like COVID home tests have been approved for use and make it easier than ever to find out whether you have been infected and avoid spreading the virus. If you have a positive test, be sure to take the appropriate precautions to avoid spreading the disease and seek help from your healthcare provider as soon as possible. Even if you get a negative result from a home test but have COVID-19 symptoms, see your healthcare provider right away for testing and diagnosis.
The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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