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<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="15091" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ohio">Ohio</keyword> Gov. <keyword id="1598215" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mike-DeWine">Mike DeWine</keyword> tested positive for <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> on August 6, but subsequent tests came back negative.</li><li>Speaking to CNN, the Republican governor said the experience points to issues that exist with rapid <keyword id="177408" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Antigen">antigen</keyword> tests.</li><li>Last week, DeWine and six other governors announced plans to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-governors-band-together-to-purchase-covid-19-testing-equipment-2020-8">pool their purchasing power</a> to obtain hundreds of thousands of antigen tests.</li><li>Asked if he was going ahead with that plan, DeWine told CNN that "we've not made a decision."</li></ul>Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is more skeptical of antigen COVID-19 tests after himself receiving a false positive last week."If anyone needed a wake up call about antigens, how careful we have to be, we certainly saw that with my test," DeWine told CNN in <a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2020/08/09/mike-dewine-coronavirus-tests-bash-sotu-vpx.cnn/video/playlists/this-week-in-politics/">an interview on Sunday</a>.The Republican governor's positive test result made headlines on Thursday, just hours before President Trump was set to land in his state. But subsequent tests came back negative."I think what people should not take away from my experience is that testing is not reliable or does not work," DeWine told CNN. Rather, the lesson is that the antigen method, which can return results in under 20 minutes, should be "looked at as a screening test," not the final word.Last week, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-governors-band-together-to-purchase-covid-19-testing-equipment-2020-8">Business Insider reported</a> that DeWine and six other governors had entered into an interstate compact to obtain hundreds of thousands of antigen tests.Asked about that compact on Sunday, and whether he plans to go ahead with the purchase of such tests, DeWine demurred. "We've not made a decision," he said.Have a news tip? Email this reporter: <a href="mailto:cdavis@insider.com">cdavis@insider.com</a>

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine entered a pact to buy thousands of COVID-19 antigen tests. After a false positive, he's more skeptical.

Washington, May 9 (AP) US regulators have approved a new type of coronavirus test that administration officials have promoted as a key to opening up the country.The Food and Drug Administration on Saturday announced emergency authorization for antigen tests developed by Quidel Corporation of San Diego. The test can rapidly detect fragments of virus proteins in samples collected from swabs swiped inside the nasal cavity, the FDA said in a statement.The antigen test is the third type of test to be authorized by the FDA.Currently, the only way to diagnose active COVID-19 is to test a patient's nasal swab for the genetic material of the virus. While considered highly accurate, the tests can take hours and require expensive, specialized equipment mainly found at commercial labs, hospitals or universities.A second type looks in the blood for antibodies, the proteins produced by the body days or weeks after fighting an infection. Such tests are helpful for researchers to understand how far a disease has spread within a community, but they aren't useful for diagnosing active infections.Antigen tests can diagnose active infections by detecting the earliest toxic traces of the virus rather than genetic code of the virus itself.The FDA said that it expects to authorize more antigen tests in the future.Quidel said Saturday that the test can provide an accurate, automated result in 15 minutes. The FDA's emergency authorization "allows us to arm our health care workers and first responders with a frontline solution for COVID-19 diagnosis, accelerating the time to diagnosis and potential treatment," Douglas Bryant, CEO of Quidel, said in a statement.A genetic material test by Abbott Laboratories used at the White House also takes about 15 minutes.The company said it specializes in testing for diseases and conditions including the flu and Lyme disease.Quidel stock has more than doubled in value since the beginning of the year, closing Friday at $158.60.The US has tried to ramp up testing using the genetic method, but the country's daily testing tally has been stuck in the 200,000 to 250,000-per-day range for several weeks, falling far short of the millions of daily tests that most experts say are needed to reopen schools, businesses, churches and other institutions of daily life.That's led White House adviser Dr Deborah Birx and other federal officials to call for a "breakthrough" in the antigen tests."There will never be the ability on a nucleic acid test to do 300 million tests a day or to test everybody before they go to work or to school, but there might be with the antigen test," Birx told reporters last month.Recently, the National Institutes of Health announced $1.5 billion in research grants aimed at fast-tracking the development of rapid, easy-to-use testing approaches - including antigen tests - by the fall. (AP) SCYSCY

US approves new coronavirus antigen test with fast results

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Former Biden advisory member Dr. Celine Gounder told "Meet the Press" the <keyword id="11899468" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fda" source="Orion">FDA</keyword> has "dragged its feet" in authorizing rapid antigen tests. </li><li>She said shifting guidelines from the <keyword id="11917544" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cdc" source="Orion">CDC</keyword> and FDA are contributing to public confusion around prevention of the <keyword id="12616996" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="omicron" source="Orion">omicron</keyword> variant. </li></ul>Dr. Celine Gounder, a former advisory board member to the <keyword id="11908406" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="biden-administration" source="Orion">Biden Administration</keyword>, is speaking out about how organizations like the US Food and Drug Administration are contributing to public confusion around COVID-19 guidelines. Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Gounder said that while the CDC has issued unclear guidance in recent weeks on how to prevent the spread of the omicron variant, there are "many other parties that contributed to this issue" — namely the FDA."The FDA under both the Trump and Biden administrations has really dragged its feet on authorizing these rapid antigen for the purpose of assessing 'are people contagious or not," Gounder said on Sunday.The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-director-explains-new-coronavirus-isolation-rules-2021-12">CDC recently faced criticism</a> for shifting its recommended isolation time periods, changing its guidance from 10 days to five days at the end of December. On Tuesday, the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html#:~:text=day%20of%20symptoms.-,If%20an%20individual%20has%20access%20to%20a%20test%20and%20wants%20to%20test%2C%20the%20best%20approach%20is%20to%20use%20an%20antigen%20test1%20towards%20the%20end%20of%20the%205%2Dday%20isolation%20period,-.%20Collect%20the%20test">CDC said</a> the "best approach" is to use a rapid antigen test toward the end of an isolation period, but <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-guidelines-covid-test-isolation-quarantine/">stopped short of requiring a negative test to end isolation</a>.Similar to vaccines, the use of antigen tests to determine contagiousness must be authorized by the FDA before the CDC can formally include it in its isolation guidelines. Experts are advocating for rapid antigen tests as a good measure of whether a person is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-covid-19-symptoms-isolate-guidance-health-2022-1">infected with COVID</a> and contagious, Gounder said on Sunday, but the FDA has not yet approved them for that purpose. "We have real world evidence that the rapid antigen tests are a good measure of contagiousness but the FDA has not authorized them for that purpose," Gounder said on "Meet the Press."Still, the FDA has made significant moves in the fight against <keyword id="8764262" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid" source="Orion">COVID</keyword> in the past two months, including <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fda-oks-first-covid-19-pill-from-pfizer-2021-12">authorizing pills from Pfizer and Merck to treat COVID-19</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fda-approves-pfizers-covid-19-vaccine-booster-shot-teens-2022-1">approving the vaccine booster shot for children ages 12 and up</a>.Gounder also pointed out that the White House and private manufacturers could have been better prepared for the holiday season by place a large volume order of <keyword id="11996463" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="rapid-test" source="Orion">rapid test</keyword> in advance to create a "stabler demand." President Biden announced plans in late December to <a href="https://www.insider.com/biden-provide-at-home-covid-test-kits-omicron-2021-12">provide 500 million free at-home COVID tests</a> to help fight the Omicron surge, but <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-01-04/frustrating-hunt-for-covid-tests-long-lines-anxious-waiting">Americans are still struggling to find COVID tests</a>, as they scour empty shelves at pharmacies or navigate lengthy lines at testing sites. "The one and only thing you can count on is that the recommendations and guidelines are going to change over time," added Gounder.

FDA 'dragged its feet' in approving and providing rapid tests, former Biden advisory board member says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Diagnostic or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are currently being used to diagnose patients with COVID-19. </li><li>Antibody tests allow for more accurate tracking of the spread of the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>. People who test positive for coronavirus antibodies can also donate plasma.</li><li>Antigen testing is not on the market yet, but Massachusetts-based E25Bio is among several companies seeking FDA approval for at-home test kits.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>With new information released all the time, it can be difficult to keep track of how doctors are testing for the coronavirus.&amp;While identifying and treating infected patients is critical, some tests add to our greater understanding of the pandemic's size, impact, and direction. Here is a breakdown of the differences between diagnostic, antibody, and antigen testing.<h2>Diagnostic testing: the frontline defense</h2>A diagnostic or a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is used for someone suspected of being infected with the coronavirus, usually obtained through a nasal or throat swab. Due to the limited supply in the US, though, typically only people with severe symptoms are tested.<div type="image" title="Hailey Boland, 20, a certified nursing assistant at John C. Fremont Hospital, receives a test for COVID-19 on the first day of testing for Mariposa residents at the Mariposa Alternative School Gym in Mariposa on April 30, 2020." height="4480" width="6720" msid="75589120" hostid="261"></div>"This test is looking for the presence of viral genetic material indicating the person has a current infection and is likely infectious," epidemiologist Tista Ghosh told Insider."Pathogens can be seen directly in specimens from the patient, often using a microscope, or grown in the laboratory over a period of days to weeks," Stephen Berger, founder of <a href="https://www.gideononline.com/about/team/">the Global Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology Network</a>, said.<a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-human-os/biomedical/diagnostics/how-do-coronavirus-tests-work">Nucleic acid tests</a>, which are more sensitive in early detection, have been used extensively during the current pandemic. Results can typically take at least one to two days, though more rapid versions are in development. While they can detect the virus in those who are asymptomatic, diagnostic tests present a <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.11.20021493v2.full.pdf">false negative in about 30% of cases</a>. Patients are therefore tested twice before being confirmed as noninfectious.<h2><keyword id="9037219" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="antibody-testing">Antibody testing</keyword>: Are you immune?</h2>People who may have been infected and recovered <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/testing/serology-overview.html">are checked for antibodies</a>, proteins the body creates to help fight off a particular infection.Coronavirus antibodies are generally not detectable until <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/when-to-take-an-antibody-test-for-coronavirus-covid-19-2020-5">14 days after symptoms</a> began. "In most viral infections, specific antibodies can be detected for months to years following infection — and in many cases well into old age," says Berger.<div type="image" title="A strip running a coronavirus antibody test on a blood samples." height="683" width="1024" msid="75589121" hostid="261"></div>Once someone is confirmed to have the antibodies they're able to donate plasma to patients who are currently infected. But antibody testing is also used to gain a more accurate representation of the pandemic's overall impact.Widespread antibody testing can help track where the virus has spread and its fatality rate, and determine whether or not it's appropriate to ease a lockdown.Unlike the swab for diagnosis, antibody tests require a blood sample, usually through a finger prick.The blood is then examined for two types of antibodies: IgM antibodies, which develop early during an infection, and IgG antibodies, which are more likely to be detected after you've recovered and are a better indicator of at least partial immunity.IgM test results can be available in as little as 15 minutes, while IgG tests are sent away to a lab and <a href="https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/HealthU/2020/05/02/covid-19-antibody-testing-pros-cons/">it can take up to a week for results</a>. But some clinics will only perform IgG blood tests because they're more reliable.Does having antibodies to the coronavirus mean you're immune? It's not clear."In theory, the presence of these antibodies indicates a person has a low likelihood of being infected again," Ghosh said. "But we do not yet know the degree of immunity or how long this immunity lasts."It's also not clear if antibody tests cross-react with antibodies of other, more common coronaviruses or if immunity provided by antibodies from one strain of the coronavirus extends <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-the-coronavirus-mutations-are-actually-nothing-to-worry-about-2020-4">to another strain</a>.And a negative result doesn't necessarily mean you didn't have COVID-19. It could mean you have an active infection and just haven't built up any antibodies. Even without symptoms, you'd still be at risk for spreading the virus.The FDA has issued <a href="https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/mcm-legal-regulatory-and-policy-framework/emergency-use-authorization#sarscov2antibody">emergency use authorizations</a> to increase antibody testing for the. Currently, there are over 120 different tests on the market, but not all are effective."<a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/04/417276/testing-tests-covid-19-antibody-assays-scrutinized-accuracy-ucsf-uc-berkeley">Early results</a> suggest that many of the serology tests on the market today are inaccurate and unreliable, and may have a high rate of false positives," Ghosh said. "So employers will need to carefully vet the quality of a given serology test before selecting a vendor, and will need to test employees multiple times to reduce the rate of false readings."On Monday, the FDA announced that companies have 10 days to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/04/health/fda-antibody-tests-coronavirus.html">prove the accuracy of their antibody tests</a> or risk removal from the market.<h2>Antigen testing: the path to reopening America</h2>While PCR tests pick up the coronavirus' genetic material, antigen tests register <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/04/24/1000486/antigen-testing-could-faster-cheaper-diagnose-covid-19-coronavirus/">surface proteins</a> on the virus. They're easier to spot, making testing quicker and cheaper, and potentially available for at-home use. "The presence of COVID-19 and many other viruses in patient specimens can be confirmed using these antigen tests, usually within minutes to hours," Berger said. "In COVID-19, the viral antigen will already be detectable at the first sign of disease. In fact, many patients will already excrete viral RNA for several days before there are any symptoms whatsoever."An antigen can only indicate if you are currently infected, not if you recovered from the virus.<div type="image" title="deborah birx" height="1333" width="2000" msid="75589122" hostid="261"></div>White House coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx indicated at a recent briefing that reliable antigen testing could help reopen America, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/antigen-versus-antibody-testing-covid-19/story?id=70409446">ABC News reported</a>. "There will never be the ability on a nucleic acid test to do 300 million tests a day or to test everybody before they go to work or to school," Birx said. "But there might be with the antigen test."There are no antigen tests currently on the market, but several companies are working on them. OraSure Technologies is developing a home kit that would allow users to test themselves with a saliva sample.<a href="http://www.e25bio.com/">E25Bio</a>, backed by MIT scientists, is seeking FDA approval for a rapid-response kit that could provide results within 15 minutes.<div type="image" title="E25bio testing strips." height="462" width="404" msid="75589123" hostid="261"></div>E25Bio's test resembles an over-the-counter pregnancy test: A nasal swab is taken, with the sample added to a solution and placed on a paper strip treated with artificial antibodies. If the test is positive for coronavirus, a colored indicator forms on the strip.While antigen tests ease and speed make them attractive, their lack of sensitivity does not: They've been found to miss about 15% to 20% of infections."If you're using this test to screen people to make sure that they're not infected, and that they go back to work or things like that, then you'd be giving people the message that they are not infected when actually they are — and therefore transmitting the new coronavirus," Jesse Papenburg, an infectious disease expert at McGill University, told <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/04/30/847416695/a-next-generation-coronavirus-test-raises-hopes-and-concerns">NPR</a>.For an antigen test for coronavirus to really work, scientists must understand the biology and structure of the coronavirus, something they're only beginning to do.Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/difference-between-coronavirus-antibody-and-antigen-test-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

The difference between diagnostic, antibody, and antigen tests for the coronavirus

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Rapid antigen testing has become central to stopping the spread of <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> — but some experts have questioned their accuracy.</li><li>Iain Buchan, a leading public <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> professor, spoke to Insider about the differences between rapid tests and the 'gold-standard' PCR tests.</li><li>He said rapid antigen tests, also known as lateral flow tests, were a valuable tool in reducing the spread of coronavirus, especially when used frequently.</li></ul>COVID-19 rapid antigen tests, which give results in half an hour or less, have become central to the fight against coronavirus - but some experts are questioning their accuracy.The UK government on Sunday ramped up rapid antigen <keyword id="7869" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="test">test</keyword>ing, which tests for the current presence of the virus in your system, through a scheme that allows companies to regularly test workers even when they don't have symptoms. The idea is to identify people who are unaware they're infectious, so they can isolate, and stop the virus spreading.In the US, President Donald Trump's administration <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rapid-coronavirus-tests-dont-prevent-outbreaks-white-house-2020-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">relied on rapid antigen tests</a>, and Americans can get the test from some pharmacies and drug stores. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-jeff-bezos-mass-testing-will-restart-economy-2020-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said in April</a> Amazon was working on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-building-coronavirus-testing-lab-for-employees-2020-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">building its own testing lab</a> to enable the company to test its employees, including those without symptoms. President Joe Biden has said that he will ramp up testing <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/National-Strategy-for-the-COVID-19-Response-and-Pandemic-Preparedness.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in his COVID-19 strategy. </a><h3>What is a rapid antigen test, as opposed to a PCR test?</h3>A rapid antigen test, also called a lateral flow test, gives results in about 15 to 30 minutes. It works by detecting fragments of the virus' genetic material. It is different to the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests, which are sent off to a lab to detect virus particles, and are considered the gold standard. Both tests require swabbing the nose.Experts have raised questions about the accuracy of rapid antigen testing in people with no symptoms. <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/943187/S0925_Innova_Lateral_Flow_SARS-CoV-2_Antigen_test_accuracy.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A mass-testing pilot in Liverpool </a>found Innova's lateral flow test, one of the most widely used in the UK, picked up 40% of people with no symptoms. <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2263746-test-caught-just-3-per-cent-of-students-with-covid-19-at-uk-university/#:~:text=Among%20Birmingham%20students%2C%20only%203.2,for%20this%20type%20of%20test." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scientists in Birmingham </a>tested the same device in students without symptoms, and reportedly picked up just 3% of PCR-positive cases. In the US, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-abbott-testing/abbotts-covid-19-antigen-test-may-help-with-faster-detection-isolation-cdc-idUSKBN29O2DD" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Abbott's lateral flow test picked up </a>64.2% of people with symptoms, but 35.8% without.John Deeks, professor of Biostatistics at the University of Birmingham, said in a statement to the Science Media Centre that rapid antigen tests should be <a href="https://twitter.com/deeksj/status/1352204740256534529" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rigorously testing for each different purpose</a>, as if it were a new drug, before mass testing is rolled out. Iain Buchan, clinical professor in Public Health Informatics at the University of Liverpool, who was involved in the Liverpool pilot, explained to Insider the difference between rapid COVID-19 tests and the PCR tests, and why he thinks people should test themselves twice each week.<div type="image" title="Iain Buchan Headshot VB" height="826" width="667" msid="80484764" hostid="261"></div>Questions and responses have been lightly edited for clarity<h3>Dr. Catherine Schuster Bruce: What is the difference between PCR and rapid antigen testing?</h3>Professor Iain Buchan: Lateral flows have a different role to PCR. With lateral flow, you get rapid results. The test comes to people, rather than people going to get a test. There is sufficient biological evidence that this is a useful test of infectiousness.PCR detects whether you have been infected.<h3>What is the role for mass rapid antigen testing?</h3>Public health measures very quickly need to be able to identify those who have the virus, and are infectious, so that infectious people can then quickly self isolate [for at least 10 days], and close contacts quickly self isolate too.<h3>Does it matter what brand the test is?</h3>The underlying technology is pretty much the same. I don't want to comment on particular makes.<h3>Why do different studies with similar tests seem to report different conclusions?</h3>There is no magic test that is 100% accurate, but lateral flow is a useful public health test, picking up at least two thirds of those who might pass on the virus, and probably over 80% of those most likely to pass it on. The results are consistent across studies if you allow for differences between labs and the phase of the epidemic the study was done in.The information is confused because the studies compare against testing PCR positive, rather than how infectious someone is.You can't compare test results. PCR is exquisitely sensitive for picking up people who have had coronavirus but at best 40% sensitive for picking up people who are infectious with coronavirus [meaning it picks up 40% of people who actually have coronavirus].It is well known that PCR detects non-viable RNA [virus] fragments as well as viable virus, meaning that large proportions of individuals who test PCR test positive will no longer be infectious. This means people could isolate inappropriately. Also tests depend on background prevalence - the more people who have the virus, the more sensitive the test.To understand what is happening in the population at large, it could be useful to have PCR test results on people with symptoms and lateral flow test results on as many people as possible without symptoms. This provides an early warning system of what is happening with virus transmission in the community.<h3>Do you think we have enough evidence to be rolling out antigen tests on a large scale? </h3>There is sufficient biological evidence that this is a useful test of infectiousness.But it's not just the biological evidence, it's behavioral and systems [evidence] that we need. It won't be one size fits all evidence here. It's about good quality management and implementation, not just a piece of remote science.You need to implement the tests, understand your local community and the context in which the test is being used in. And that's down to good public health practice. <h3>How often should we be testing people?</h3>If I was running a business and wanted to protect customers and workers, I would encourage staff to test at least twice weekly. Tests every three days are valuable.I think we should "test before you go" to workplaces where most mixing happens. And places like supermarkets. [Testing supermarket workers] will have a knock on effect of protecting the customer, and the local community. <h3>Could it make people who get a negative test reckless?</h3>We can learn that from where the tests are first applied to very large numbers of people - what are the effects on behavior of getting a negative result? But it's not just about the negative test result. It's all the communication that goes with that. The messages from the test center, from the workplace, from your peers in the local community, from the advertising, from the local council, from government...It's all that wrap around communication that affects what somebody does when they get the test. I think that is important. And it's changing all the time because circumstances change. Like with any [public health] programme, it is complicated to get right. You need to pilot these things before you scale them up. And good public health practice shows that you have to keep listening to communities. You have to keep watching what happens when you deploy a public health intervention.<h3>What would you say to someone who was worried about the false reassurance the tests could give?</h3>I would say look at the facts, and not opinions. There is evidence coming out now that this is a really useful test. If you want to support your community then regular testing - twice per week - will really make a valuable contribution to all people around you. But don't stop doing other things like <a href="https://coronavirusresources.phe.gov.uk/Hands-Face-Space-/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"hands, face, space".</a>This will mean we can open up towns and cities earlier.They're just another tool to make everyone safer, not a replacement for other good public health practice.

A public health professor explains the difference between rapid COVID-19 tests from a pharmacy and the 'gold standard' lab results - and says people should be tested every 3 days

<ul class="summary-list"><li>At-home <keyword id="11893194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus" source="Orion">coronavirus</keyword> tests are in high demand amidst the Omicron surge.</li><li>You can buy "rapid" antigen tests, or <keyword id="6361808" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pcr" source="Orion">PCR</keyword> tests, which are the "gold standard" and are usually processed in a lab.</li></ul>It might be time to stock up on home coronavirus tests again — if you can find them.As COVID cases surged in recent weeks, Google searches for "home coronavirus test" also spiked. People seeking tests have found <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cvs-low-on-covid-tests-limiting-the-number-customers-buy-2021-8">drugstore shelves empty</a> and Amazon inventory <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rapid+antigen+test+for+covid+19&amp;i=industrial&amp;crid=3NNV85EG4R9F&amp;sprefix=anitgen+%2Cindustrial%2C167&amp;ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_1_8">sold out</a>.Even if demand for testing is climbing to early pandemic levels, at least the technology for testing at home has improved since 2020.Now, you can buy a variety of tests online or <a href="https://cvshealth.com/news-and-insights/press-releases/over-the-counter-covid-19-testing-now-available-at-cvs-pharmacy">at the drugstore,</a> some of which return results in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-use-home-rapid-coronavirus-tests-2020-12">as little as 15 minutes</a>.In some circumstances, it's possible to get free at-home tests. According to the White House, that will become even easier come January, when the federal government promises to start mailing out 500 million free, at-home COVID tests to people who need them.Here's how to get hold of at-home coronavirus tests, and how to use them correctly to ensure an accurate result.<h2>You can buy rapid antigen tests in pharmacies</h2>Most of the over-the-counter, at-home testing options are rapid antigen tests, which can return results within 10 to 15 minutes.The Abbott BinaxNOW, Ellume <keyword id="11893994" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19" source="Orion">Covid-19</keyword> Home, and Quidel QuickVue tests are among the most widely available rapid antigen tests authorized by the FDA. They're sold in most drugstores, including CVS, Walgreens, and Duane Reade.They cost between $20 and $30, but their availability might be limited right now due to <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-08-30/high-demand-for-at-home-covid-tests-could-hamper-supply-abbott-says">high demand</a>.The majority of at-home antigen tests use some sort of nasal swab, and some of them come with an app or instructional video to walk you through the process.Abbott and Quidel's tests both show two lines for a positive test and one line for a negative, similar to a pregnancy test. Ellume's <keyword id="11996463" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="rapid-test" source="Orion">rapid test</keyword> returns results via an app.<h2>You can get PCR and rapid tests delivered by Amazon, DoorDash, or a private lab</h2>Amazon has sold rapid antigen tests and at-home collection kits for PCR testing. At the time of publication, most or all of the antigen tests were listed as "currently unavailable" with no restock date.The site currently stocks an Amazon-brand PCR kit for $39.99, as well as a similar nasal swab kit from EmpowerDX and a saliva test kit made by DxTerity, each for $99.Home PCR test kits are more expensive than antigen tests, but they're also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-test-rapid-antigen-test-lateral-flow-pcr-explained-2021-1">better at diagnosing COVID-19</a>. Once you send away your nasal swab or saliva sample, you can expect results within one or two business days of the lab receiving your kit.The food delivery service DoorDash recently announced it now delivers PCR tests on behalf of Vault <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">Health</keyword> and Everlywell in <a href="https://ir.doordash.com/news/news-details/2021/DoorDash-Launches-On-Demand-Delivery-of-COVID-19-PCR-Test-Collection-Kits-Through-Partnerships-with-Vault-Health-and-Everlywell/default.aspx">12 cities with more to come</a>. The Vault kit, which includes a video consultation to supervise saliva collection, costs $119. The Everywell kit, a self-guided lower nasal swab, costs $109. Both are available for same-day delivery on the DoorDash app.It's also possible to order self-collection kits directly from labs, like the Pixel kit from LabCorp.<h2>Some states and cities offer free at-home tests</h2>Residents of Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Washington are eligible for free at-home tests, which they can order online via each state's website. The cities of <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/coronavirus/nyc-starts-handing-out-free-covid-test-kits-as-cases-surge-to-staggering-heights/3465292/">New York City</a>, <a href="https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/where-to-get-at-home-rapid-testing-kits-covid-19-washington-dc-libraries/65-6ea558d7-3f48-4b49-b0c8-534442767700">Washington, DC</a>, and <a href="https://6abc.com/free-covid-tests-philadelphia-nj-coronavirus-rapid-test/11367191/">Philadelphia</a> are offering the same service.<a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/12/22/1065799880/as-omicron-surges-these-states-and-cities-are-focused-on-giving-out-free-covid-t"></a>Over Christmas, as tests have been in short supply, there have been upticks in people <a href="https://kdvr.com/news/coronavirus/at-home-testing-kits-vanish-from-colorado-stores-people-line-up-at-testing-sites/">lining up</a> at clinics for in-person testing, saying their local website wasn't working. However, health departments <a href="https://kdvr.com/news/coronavirus/colorado-orders-2-million-more-at-home-covid-19-test-kits/">insist</a> there is more on the way.<h2>Antigen testing has its limitations</h2><div type="image" title="home testing thumb" height="820" width="1267" msid="85816208" hostid="261"></div>Taking a rapid antigen test is currently the quickest way to determine your COVID status without leaving the house, but that doesn't mean it's your most accurate testing option. Antigen tests <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD013705.pub2/full">aren't as sensitive</a> as the gold-standard PCR test, which means you're more likely to get a false negative.Antigen tests work best for confirming that a symptomatic infection is COVID-19, so these are good ones to have on hand for the next time you feel sick. But if you're testing to rule out an asymptomatic infection, you may want to try a different option.<h2>For more sensitive testing, get a PCR test and send your swab away</h2>You can also purchase a <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-at-home-covid-19-tests">home test kit for PCR testing</a>, which is currently the "gold standard" for coronavirus diagnostics.While antigen tests screen for specific proteins in the coronavirus, PCR tests take a closer look for any trace of the virus' genetic material. The process usually takes place in a lab, but some test kits let you collect your own samples at home.There are some fully at-home PCR tests in the works from Cue and Lucira, but neither is available at retailers yet. Lucira is selling the test directly to <keyword id="11897506" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="healthcare" source="Orion">healthcare</keyword> providers, and the Cue COVID-19 test is expected to be available for direct consumer purchase later this fall.

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