Buy at-home coronavirus test kits online
Costco is selling at-home coronavirus test kits, which are only available online and don’t require nasal swabs.
The basic COVID-19 Saliva PCR Test Kit costs $129.99, and you receive test results within 24 to 72 hours from the time the lab receives your kits. For $139.99, the kit comes with video observation and you can get results within a potentially quicker 24-to-48-hour window after the lab receives your test.
Before the kits ship, you must fill out an online health assessment. Costco says it is offering next-day delivery on the COVID-19 test kits. Factoring in delivery times, it could take several days to get your results.
As COVID-19 cases spike nationwide, and with the United States now experiencing record-high levels of infections, these online tests can be an alternative to on-site testing centers.
The self-administered test requires a saliva sample. According to Azova, the company that administers the program, 98% of positive tests are accurate and 99% of negative tests are accurate. AZOVA says its test is FDA authorized as it received an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Simplemost was able to confirm that the P23 test used by Azova is among the nearly 200 tests on the FDA’a EUA database for diagnostic tests that detect SARS-CoV-2.
In August, the Trump administration determined that the FDA will no longer review certain lab tests, including those to detect COVID-19, according to CNN. Prior to this decision, labs submitted emergency use authorization applications to develop and use COVID-19 tests.
If you have a flexible spending account with your health insurance, the COVID-19 testing kit is considered an eligible purchase.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting a test for COVID-19 in the following instances:
- People who have symptoms of COVID-19.
- People who have had close contact (within 6 feet for a total of 15 minutes or more) with someone with confirmed COVID-19.
- People who have been asked or referred to get testing by their healthcare provider, local or state health department.