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The FDA recently approved an Emergency Authorization for ACON Laboratories' FlowFlex COVID Home Test. This is an over-the-counter COVID antigen test and is added to the approved list of tests that can be done at home. This action underscores the ongoing commitment to increase the availability of reasonably accurate and reliable over-the-counter testing to meet public health needs and improve consumer access to testing.
ACON Laboratories will significantly increase the availability of rapid home inspection and is expected to double the capacity of rapid home inspection in the United States in the coming weeks. It is estimated that manufacturers will create more than 200 million tests by February 2022.
Due to its public health implications, the FDA considers COVID a top priority and will continue to prioritize its review. The FDA has approved more than 400 COVID tests and sampling devices as of March 2020. It also includes rapid over-the-counter home test approval. These approvals followed the announcement of a streamlined approach to facilitate rapid tests approved for use in serial test programs, thereby improving consumer access to testing. The approvals enable even greater access and testing capabilities.
Most household antigen tests are approved for continuous testing or for testing the same person multiple times within a few days. The FDA wants to inform patients that all tests can have false negatives and false positives. Individuals with positive results should be self-isolated and seek additional help from their doctor. People with negative test results and COVID-like symptoms should see a doctor as they will not be able to rule out COVID infection. Home diagnostic tests play an essential role in the fight against COVID. Laboratories continue to develop properly accurate and reliable tests and provide all Americans with the support and expertise to improve access to tests.
Retailers limit the number of tests per customer to meet the growing demand. Walgreens is limited to four tests per purchase, both in-store and online. Wal-Mart limits customers to eight tests when making online purchases (there is no store limit). With CVS, you can only buy 6 tests at a time..
The government recently announced plans to distribute 500 million rapid home COVID test kits for free in the United States. This will not start until January. Your only option is to pay for a commercial quick-fit kit from your pocket. For the time being, the set will only be insured if prescribed by a doctor based on your symptoms. However, it is recommended that you keep your receipt as you can repay it with private health insurance.
Abbott's Binax Now kit provides results within 15 minutes of wiping your nose and inserting the sample into the included test card. You can then use the Navica Companion app to report the results yourself. If the test is negative, you will receive a temporarily encrypted digital passport. This path can be used as an official proof of test results. If you have two tests per box, the company recommends running another test within 3 days. The shortest is 24 hours, and the latest is 48 hours.
The On / Go Antigen self-test comes with a connection app that guides you through the process. After creating an account, collect samples using the included test cassette, extraction vial, vial cap, and nasal swab. The app will ask you to upload a photo of the result after 10 minutes, and it will determine whether the result is positive, negative, or invalid (you can try again at this point).
FlowFlex is the cheapest test on this list. Unlike most of these kits, you can only run one test per box. According to the company, the test is likely to detect unverified variants of Omicron. However, unlike other tests, the FDA is very confident about this test, and do not recommend retesting it after a few days unless you feel you have new symptoms. The process is similar, wipe your nose, soak a cotton swab in the solution, and squeeze a few drops into a test card. After 15 to 30 minutes, the results will be displayed.
InteliSwab looks different from the standard home Covid test kit and has the longest latency. Instead of a separate nasal swab, a flat pad is attached to the result window. After wiping both nostrils with a flat pad, insert it into a tube of solution and wait 3040 minutes for the results to appear.
These are some of the best tests you can use safely at home. You can also use RiteAid and ExpressMed tests, but the FlowFlex Covid19 Antigen Rapid Test is the cheapest and most reliable.
