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Having to go to the hospital or drive to a test site for COVID-19 may soon be a second option. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced the approval of a test that allows the patient to obtain their own nasal sample at home and send them in an insulated package back to Pixel, the LabCorp that produces the kits, to be analyzed. Through a press release, FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn said the agency worked closely with LabCorp to make sure that self-tests and sample collection are as effective and safe as they are. They perform in medical offices.
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LabCorp announced that due to the risk they are exposed to, healthcare workers and other emergency employees will have prioritized access to testing. The cost of these will be $ 119 and will be available in the coming weeks to the general public with medical authorization.
On its website, LabCorp also states that the kits will not be available in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. According to MarketWatch, this is because these states have laws that prohibit testing with home sample collection kits.
Home tests eliminate invasive contact to which both patients and physicians are exposed
Home testing is a way to eliminate contact and help protect healthcare workers and other patients, as well as preserving medical equipment as they would mitigate the number of patients who go in search of tests to hospitals. As The Verge reported: “About 147,000 COVID-19 tests are recorded each day in the United States, which experts say is still far less than the number of tests required to control the outbreak. The arrival of these kits that allow people to collect their own nasal specimens at home has the potential to open tests to a wider audience. “With this action, there is now a convenient and reliable option for collecting patient samples from the comfort and security of your home,” said Dr. Stephen M. Hahn, FDA Commissioner, in a statement.
The test is simple and easy to use
Although home tests, like those used in medical centers, use a swab, the size of the swab is not as invasive and requires only three simple rubs on the edge of each nostril. According to the FDA press release, the kits include swabs and saline water. The announcement also highlights that due to consternations about sterility and cross-reactivity, other cotton swabs should not be used with this test at present. You can see more detailed instructions here.
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