Antigen testing, on the other hand, is a fraction of the cost, which currently ranges from $ 25 to $ 50.
What should you look for in the box?
Make sure the home test or collection kit you want to buy has an FDA emergency use permit (it will be printed on the box) and that the company works with certified lab partners. Also look at tests that a telemedicine consultation offers, dr. Cruz advised so you can discuss your diagnosis and next steps.
How should I interpret a result from a home coronavirus test?
It is important to get a reliable result to follow the instructions of the test kit. “A sample that is not collected correctly can lead to false negative test results,” said dr. Cruz said. Imperfect chopping techniques, or just poking in one nostril, can increase the risk of less accurate results. And samples for test-by-mail sets must be sent the same day; the less time transported, the better. Samples sent on weekends or holidays may be delayed, although some use FedEx and overnight shipping.
If you test positive on an email PCR or a home antigen test, you will probably be infected and considered contagious, said Dr. Bacci said. So isolate yourself from others and keep monitoring your symptoms. Repeated tests can help detect the course of the disease, if someone is asymptomatic after symptoms.
Negative results are more likely to be wrong than positive ones. “A negative result does not necessarily mean that you do not have Covid-19, which is the same interpretation for a home test, an e-mail test or a doctoral office,” said Dr. Cruz said. Continue to wear masks, keep social distance and practice good hygiene, especially if you have symptoms or have contact with Covid-19.
When would a test be inappropriate to use?
Dr Gronvall is concerned that some people use home tests after being vaccinated to make sure the vaccine works. But the PCR or antigen-based tests cannot determine if the vaccines have built up immunity in your body.
This is because the vaccines encode extracts of the virus and not the whole series. The PCR and antigen tests look for a different part of the virus than that included in the vaccines.
“These tests will not tell people if the vaccine is effective,” she said.
What does the future hold for home testing?
In addition to saliva and nasal swabs, some scientists are looking for devices that look like breathing apparatus to detect chemicals in an individual’s breath that are consistent with coronavirus infection. “We are looking at the body’s response to infection and disease,” said Pelagia-Iren Gouma, a materials engineer at Ohio State University.