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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Wealthy New Yorkers are paying people to stand in <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> testing lines for them.</li><li>Demand for tests has surged in the run-up to <keyword id="32170" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Thanksgiving">Thanksgiving</keyword>, leading to hours-long waits at some testing centers in the city.</li><li>People who offer to line-sit on freelance marketplace TaskRabbit told the <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/11/23/new-yorkers-are-hiring-line-waiters-to-sit-in-covid-19-test-lines/?utm_medium=browser_notifications&amp;utm_source=pushly&amp;utm_campaign=719994n=719994">New York Post</a> they've been charging up to $80 an hour. When they approach the front of the line, they ring the person paying them, who takes their place.</li><li>One user told the Post they were getting multiple inquiries every day. Most of the people willing to pay are "fairly young, maybe in their 20s" who work from home and "have the money to spend," they said.</li><li>TaskRabbit told Business Insider: "We encourage Taskers to not accept jobs for which they aren't comfortable for any reason."</li></ul>Some rich New Yorkers aren't keen on waiting in line for a <keyword id="8885979" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Covid-19-test">COVID-19 test</keyword> — so they're paying other people to do it on their behalf.Demand for tests has spiked as the holidays approach and people prepare to meet up with their families, some <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/thanksgiving-coronavirus-millions-travelling-despite-cdc-advice-over-covid-19-2020-11">ignoring Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advice to stay at home</a>. This has led to <a href="https://twitter.com/PhilanthropyGal/status/1330927655290621953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1330927655290621953%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Frich-new-yorkers-hiring-people-to-wait-in-covid-19-test-lines-for-them-2020-110-11">hours-long waits</a> at some testing centres.On freelance marketplace TaskRabbit, users are advertising line-sitting services, and some are getting paid hundreds of dollars, the <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/11/23/new-yorkers-are-hiring-line-waiters-to-sit-in-covid-19-test-lines/?utm_medium=browser_notifications&amp;utm_source=pushly&amp;utm_campaign=719994n=719994">New York Post</a> reported.When they reach the front of the line, they ring the person paying them, who then takes their place.One TaskRabbit user, Lucy, told the <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/11/23/new-yorkers-are-hiring-line-waiters-to-sit-in-covid-19-test-lines/?utm_medium=browser_notifications&amp;utm_source=pushly&amp;utm_campaign=719994n=719994">Post</a> she charged one customer $80 an hour. When she showed up to wait, she was disappointed because the line looked short, she said. But in the end she waited for three hours, pocketing $240."I was socially distanced, I had my mask on, everyone else was socially distanced and, you know, I just like spent the time in line talking to my grandma and stuff," Lucy said.<h3>"Every day I'm getting inquiries"</h3>One out-of-work writer waiting in a CityMD line in Soho told the <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/11/23/new-yorkers-are-hiring-line-waiters-to-sit-in-covid-19-test-lines/?utm_medium=browser_notifications&amp;utm_source=pushly&amp;utm_campaign=719994n=719994" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">Post</a> they were getting asked to wait in lines every day."I've already done this about five times already," she said."One day I got hired to do two lines, so that's how busy it is. Every day I'm getting inquiries."A lot of people want to visit family or take trips for Thanksgiving and they need some kind of documentation stating they're COVID-free. One of my clients said they're going on a trip and she needs documentation before she goes," said the writer, who asked to remain anonymous.She said that most of the people willing to pay are "fairly young, maybe in their 20s" who work from home and "have the money to spend."<keyword id="6355838" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="new-york">New York</keyword> Times journalist Taylor Lorenz posted this video on Twitter, showing a long line of people waiting for a COVID-19 test.Some social media users expressed concern about people waiting in line on behalf of others, arguing this could worsen the spread of the virus."This year, there are some Taskers choosing to wait in line for clients seeking <keyword id="8950222" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Covid-19-tests">COVID-19 tests</keyword>," TaskRabbit said in a statement sent to Business Insider."Because details of all tasks are shared by clients in advance, Taskers know the types of lines in which they will be waiting, and the decision about whether to accept the task lies with the Tasker."We encourage Taskers to not accept jobs for which they aren't comfortable for any reason."The company added: "As always, the safety and well-being of all users on the platform is our biggest priority, and we ask all Taskers and clients to adhere to safety best practices and TaskRabbit's guidelines for using our platform."The US is currently experiencing a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-third-coronavirus-surge-is-tsunami-comparison-spring-summer-2020-11">third wave of COVID-19</a>. More than 12.4 million cases have been recorded, alongside 257,000 deaths, according to the New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html">COVID-19 tracker</a>.As more people are getting tested in the runup to Thanksgiving, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-covid-tests-ahead-of-thanksgiving-holiday-long-lines-2020-11?r=US&amp;IR=T#new-yorkers-waited-in-lines-stretching-around-city-blocks-like-this-one-outside-of-a-citymd-urgent-care-clinic-1ic-1">Business Insider took photos</a> showing some of the long lines in cities across the US, such as Los Angeles and New York.A US <a href="http://osuwmc.multimedia-newsroom.com/index.php/2020/11/12/survey-nearly-2-in-5-americans-will-likely-attend-large-holiday-gatherings/">national survey by Ohio State University</a> on November 17 showed 40% of respondents were planning to gather in person with 10 or more people during the holiday season. Additionally, a third of respondents said they would not ask guests to wear masks to their events.Many states have set restrictions on Thanksgiving gatherings. For example, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cuomo-prohibits-gatherings-larger-than-10-2020-11?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced</a> November 11 that gatherings larger than 10 people at private residences are banned.

Rich New Yorkers are paying people $80 an hour to wait in long lines for them at COVID-19 testing centers

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="137254" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="United-Airlines">United Airlines</keyword> will trial free rapid <keyword id="8885979" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Covid-19-test">COVID-19 test</keyword> for passengers flying between London and Newark, New Jersey, <a href="https://hub.united.com/2020-10-28-united-airlines-redesigns-mobile-app-to-be-more-accessible-for-people-with-visual-disabilities-2648532772.html">it announced Thursday</a>.</li><li>United will run the tests on three flights a week for four weeks, starting November 16.</li><li>This makes it the first US airline to offer free testing on flights across the Atlantic.</li><li>The nasal swab tests will produce results in around 30 minutes, and passengers who refuse testing won't be allowed to board the flights. </li></ul>United Airlines will trial free <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> tests for passengers flying from the US to the UK, becoming the first airline to do so, <a href="https://hub.united.com/2020-10-28-united-airlines-redesigns-mobile-app-to-be-more-accessible-for-people-with-visual-disabilities-2648532772.html">it announced Thursday</a>.The airline will trial rapid tests for passengers flying on three flights a week between London and Newark, New Jersey over four weeks, from November 16 to December 11.The tests are available to all on-board crew and customers aged 2 and up who are flying to London Heathrow from Newark Liberty International.Passengers won't be able to board without taking a test, the airline said. This guarantees everyone on board, other than young children, will have tested negative before departure.Passengers who have previously tested negative will have to be re-tested, it added.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airline-recovery-pandemic-flying-safe-2020-10?r=gd-sub">Airline CEOs say it doesn't matter how well they protect passengers from COVID-19 — travel demand won't bounce back until the pandemic ends</a>The nasal swab test will produce results in <a href="https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/covid-testing.html#ewr">approximately 30 minutes</a>, but the airline warned this was not sufficient for entry to all countries. Passengers who are traveling onwards from the UK may have to take a PCR test, which is analyzed in a lab, it added.The airline would share customer feedback with both American and British governments, and hoped this will show the effectiveness of testing as an alternative to mandatory quarantines and travel restrictions, it said.Travel demand and airline revenues would significantly increase when testing is available, United added.Premise Health will administer the rapid testing pilot program for three flights a week, totalling 12 flights over the four-week period."We believe the ability to provide fast, same-day <keyword id="8913051" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Covid-19-testing">COVID-19 testing</keyword> will play a vital role in safely reopening travel around the world and navigating quarantines and travel restrictions, particularly to key international destinations like London," Toby Enqvist, chief customer officer for United, said.<a href="https://hub.united.com/2020-10-15-united-airlines-starts-customer-covid-19-testing-program-at-san-francisco-international-airport-2648216793.html">On October 15</a>, United became the first US airline to offer optional pre-flight rapid tests. For a fee, passengers traveling from San Francisco International <keyword id="6355752" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="airport">Airport</keyword> to Hawaii could take the tests and bypass Hawaii's mandatory quarantine.In the first 10 days, the number of passengers flying the route has nearly 95% doubled compared to the prior two weeks.

United Airlines will trial free COVID-19 tests for passengers flying from New Jersey to London, and anyone that refuses won't be allowed on board

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Walgreens-owned UK pharmacy chain <keyword id="39134" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="boots">Boots</keyword> is now selling private in-store <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> tests for £120 ($157) each.</li><li>But Boots warned the test isn't suitable for people who think they may have the virus — this is to keep symptomatic people out of stores.</li><li>The tests are available in 10 high-street Boots stores in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. Boots will roll the tests out to 50 stores during November.</li><li>It also plans to launch a testing service that will give results in 12 minutes, it said.</li></ul>Walgreens-owned UK pharmacy chain Boots is now selling in-store private COVID-19 tests, <a href="https://www.boots-uk.com/media-centre/press-releases/new-covid-19-testing-service-now-available-in-boots-uk-stores/">it announced on Monday</a> – but people who think they have the virus shouldn't use them.The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests cost £120 ($157) each, which the company says makes it "one of the cheapest private COVID-19 tests available on the market."The testing is only on offer for those without symptoms, Boots said, to prevent infectious people coming in store."This service is not suitable for anyone with symptoms of COVID-19, or anyone who thinks they may have COVID-19," the company said.Customers book an appointment online, and a staff member carries out a swab test. This is sent for lab testing, and the results will usually arrive within 48 hours, Boots said.<div type="image" title="Boots booking" height="2661" width="3992" msid="78873435" hostid="261"></div>The service is currently available in 10 high-street stores in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.The company will roll the tests out to 50 stores throughout November. This could rise to 200 over the coming months, Boots said, depending on demand and customer feedback.Boots has <a href="https://www.walgreensbootsalliance.com/our-business/retail-pharmacy-international">more than 2,300 stores</a> across the UK, though not all of these are pharmacies.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-treatment-gileads-remdesivir-clinical-testing-timeline-2020-3?r=gd-sub">The FDA just approved the first drug to treat COVID-19. Here's how biotech giant Gilead created remdesivir and positioned it to be a billion-dollar treatment.</a>Over the next few weeks, Boots will also roll out a £120 ($157) 12-minute COVID-19 swab test, which it will process on-site using a LumiraDx device. This makes it unsuitable for pre-flight testing, which has to be processed in a lab.The rapid test is similarly only for customers without symptoms. Boots hopes the tests will "reduc[e] inappropriate use of the government testing program."

The UK's largest pharmacy chain Boots is now selling private COVID-19 tests for $155, but warns they're unsuitable 'for anyone who thinks they may have COVID-19'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US needs to place a bigger emphasis on <keyword id="8913051" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Covid-19-testing">COVID-19 testing</keyword>, Dr. Celine Gounder, a member of President-elect <keyword id="99719" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Joe-Biden">Joe Biden</keyword>'s <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> advisory board, told the Financial Times.</li><li>President Trump's flagship COVID-19 scheme, "Operation Warp Speed" is a government program that funds vaccine development efforts by drugmakers. "We need to be funding not just vaccines," Dr. Gounder said.</li><li>A <keyword id="60973" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Biden">Biden</keyword> administration would fund more testing, collecting data on cases, and supporting state and local government health departments, she said.</li><li>"The state and local health departments have really been thrown into the deep end. They are treading water and they are drowning," she said. </li></ul>President-elect Joe Biden's administration should overhaul President Donald Trump's flagship vaccine scheme, "Operation Warp Speed," to focus on <keyword id="8693569" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Coronavirus-testing">coronavirus testing</keyword>, according to a member of Biden's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-covid-19-advisory-board-coronavirus-panel-vivek-murthy-2020-11">COVID-19 advisory panel</a>.The Biden administration would allocate more funding to testing, collecting data on cases, and supporting state and local government health departments, who are currently "drowning," <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-covid-19-advisory-board-coronavirus-panel-vivek-murthy-2020-11">Dr. Celine Gounder</a> told <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/c56b93de-d5f9-4c1f-af66-44cf9a91b898">the Financial Times</a>.The administration would also offer more "political backing" to local government, supporting "things that might be unpopular," she said.Warp Speed is a government program that funds vaccine development efforts by drugmakers, and has been allocated nearly $10 billion by Congress."We need to be funding not just vaccines. I think another major area we need to be looking at is diagnostics," Dr. Gounder, an infectious disease and global health expert at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine, said.The comments from Gounder, part of a 13-person COVID-19 panel that Biden announced Monday, is the latest hint at how the Biden administration will try to tackle the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> pandemic.The US should test more asymptomatic people, Gounder said, to help identify carriers of the virus who may be spreading it without realising.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-estimate-40-percent-infected-with-covid-19-asymptomatic-2020-7">Around 40% of people infected with COVID-19 are asymptomatic</a>, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and their chances of transmitting the disease is around 75%.Younger adults are more likely to be asymptomatic spreaders, Gounder told The Financial Times, adding: "You can't possibly curb that without testing."Biden's team plans to ramp up testing — and it also wants to collect more testing data, Gounder said. This would mean officials could better understand the scale of the outbreak."The most important thing is to have data," she said.When tests do come back as positive, the team plans to curb the spread of the disease by expanding contact tracing. Biden has proposed tripling the number of contact tracers <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-coroanvirus-pandemic-plan-vaccine-testing-masks-2020-11">by hiring a further 100,000</a>.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizers-executive-compensation-a-look-into-the-pharma-giants-pay-2020-11?r=gd-sub">Pfizer announced very promising results for their long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine. Here's how much the company's executives are paid to lead the pharmaceutical giant</a>Gounder also said local COVID-19 policies mean the US currently has a "very piecemeal response" to COVID-19, and measures vary greatly between states."The state and local health departments have really been thrown into the deep end. They are treading water and they are drowning," she said. Though she acknowledged this "patchiness" would likely continue, she said Biden's team wants to provide more support to state and local public health departments.This includes funding, guidance, and "political backing and cover when they are doing things that might be unpopular that will make a big difference," she said.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-coroanvirus-pandemic-plan-vaccine-testing-masks-2020-11">Biden's other pledges to improve COVID-19 testing</a> include increasing production of rapid, at-home tests and establishing at least 10 drive-through testing sites per state.On Wednesday, board member Michael Osterholm said that a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-osterholm-covid-national-lockdown-economy-coronavirus-advisory-board-2020-11">US nationwide lockdown lasting four to six weeks would help control the coronavirus and revive the US economy</a>."We could really watch ourselves cruising into the vaccine availability in the first and second quarter of next year while bringing back the economy long before that," he told Yahoo Finance.Biden is also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-plans-regular-virus-briefings-contrast-trump-2020-11?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">appointing a "COVID coordinator" to give him daily briefings</a>, his incoming chief of staff Ron Klain said, according to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-georgia-elections-lindsey-graham-79d7221d2ea83b2ff4d00216ed591eeb">the Associated Press</a>. In comparison, Trump <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-barely-meets-white-house-coronavirus-task-force-francis-collins-2020-10?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">barely meets his coronavirus task force</a> and its members rarely get access to him, a member said.

A key Biden COVID-19 advisor says Trump's 'Warp Speed' vaccine scheme should be overhauled to put more emphasis on testing

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Biden on Thursday required health insurers to cover the cost of at-home <keyword id="11893994" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19" source="Orion">COVID-19</keyword> tests.</li><li>Those who aren't covered by private insurance can find free tests at health centers, Biden said.</li></ul>President <keyword id="99719" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="joe-biden" source="Orion">Joe Biden</keyword> announced Thursday that health insurers must pay for at-home <keyword id="8913051" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19-testing" source="Orion">COVID-19 testing</keyword> and that the government would make free tests available for those not covered by private insurance."Today, I announced that health insurers must cover the cost of at-home COVID testing," Biden <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1466490556318724097">said</a>. "For those not covered by private insurance, we will make available free tests at thousands of locations like rural clinics and community health centers for folks to pick up and test at home."The Biden administration has been expanding COVID-19 health policies and guidance amid growing concern over the spread of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-8-things-to-deal-with-omicron-covid-variant-2021-11">Omicron variant</a> of the <keyword id="11893194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus" source="Orion">coronavirus</keyword>. Earlier this week, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/omicron-covid-variant-first-case-reported-in-us-2021-12">California reported its first case</a> of the variant, which marked the first known Omicron infection in the US. South Africa first reported the variant to the World Health Organization on November 24."We're going to fight this variant with <keyword id="11896083" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="science" source="Orion">science</keyword> and speed, not chaos and confusion," the president said at the National Institutes of Health.In a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/12/02/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-protect-americans-against-the-delta-and-omicron-variants-as-we-battle-covid-19-this-winter/">statement</a> released by the White House, the Biden administration said it was "on track" to quadruple the supply of rapid at-home tests compared with the number in late summer."Today's actions will help Americans access the tests they need to help them stop the spread of COVID-19 to others," the White House added.

Biden requires health insurers to cover the cost of at-home COVID-19 tests amid growing concern over the Omicron variant

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="151277" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="CVs">CVS</keyword> is hiring 15,000 new staff to prepare for an expected rise in <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> cases during the colder months.</li><li>This includes more than 10,000 <keyword id="6379262" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Pharmacy">pharmacy</keyword> technicians, who will dispense medicines and administer <keyword id="8950222" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Covid-19-tests">COVID-19 tests</keyword>.</li><li>They may even be able administer vaccines, if the government authorizes proposed healthcare changes backed by CVS.</li><li>CVS is also hiring "several thousand" full-time customer service roles that will be carried out remotely.</li></ul>CVS Health is hiring 15,000 new staff to cope with the expected rise in COVID-19 cases during fall and winter, <a href="https://cvshealth.com/news-and-insights/press-releases/cvs-health-to-hire-15000-across-the-us-in-fourth-quarter">it announced Monday</a>.The vacancies include more than 10,000 roles for full- and part-time licensed pharmacy technicians to dispense medicines and administer COVID-19 tests. The company wants to fill the positions "as soon as possible."Many of the roles are temporary, but could become permanent, the company added.Technicians would also be able to administer COVID-19 vaccinations under the supervision of an immunization-certified pharmacist if state legislators authorizes proposed changes backed by CVS.Since April, <a href="https://www.pharmacytimes.com/news/changes-in-practice-scope-of-pharmacy-technicians-needed-to-address-community-needs-during-covid-19-outbreak">pharmacists have called on US legislators to introduce this policy</a>, which the state of <a href="https://news3lv.com/news/local/sisolak-nevada-emergency-covid-19-vaccine">Nevada did in September</a>. CVS says the change would help more people get vaccinated.CVS said the new hires would "help the company continue to respond to the needs of communities across the country during the fall and winter months when the incidences of COVID-19 and the flu are expected to increase."CVS usually recruits new staff every flu season, but Lisa Bisaccia, the company's chief human resources officer, said it expects "a much greater need for trained pharmacy technicians this year given the continued presence of COVID-19 in our communities."Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-making-fast-home-coronavirus-tests-sherlock-mammoth-e25-2020-10">Meet the 11 companies racing to make coronavirus tests that cost as little as $5 and deliver results in under 15 minutes</a>CVS is also recruiting pharmacists, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and distribution center employees.It has also opened "several thousand" full-time remote customer service roles. These have a flexible schedule, the company said, which makes them suitable for people returning to work during the pandemic.Candidates can <a href="https://jobs.cvshealth.com/Call-Center-Job-Near-Me">try the job out online</a> before they apply.CVS Health opened the first large-scale COVID-19 testing sites in the US in April, and has administered <a href="https://cvshealth.com/news-and-insights/press-releases/cvs-health-to-partner-with-long-term-care-facilities-when-covid-19">more than 5 million tests</a>.The company aims to provide around approximately 5 million COVID-19 tests per month, it added, and is currently offering tests <a href="https://cvshealth.com/news-and-insights/press-releases/cvs-health-to-partner-with-long-term-care-facilities-when-covid-19">at nearly 4,000 drive-thru pharmacies</a>.To meet these needs, CVS has hired nearly 80,000 full-time, part-time and temporary employees so far, a spokesperson told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/cvs-hire-thousands-pharmacy-techs-it-prepares-more-covid-19-n1243860">NBC News</a>.

CVS is hiring 15,000 new staff to cope with an expected rise of COVID-19 cases and the potential rollout of a vaccine

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Rapid tests are a quick and convenient way to learn about your COVID-19 status.</li><li>The timing, temperature, and even what you eat before getting tested could affect your results.</li></ul>Rapid testing has become a popular tool in the <keyword id="11893194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus" source="Orion">coronavirus</keyword> pandemic, especially during the initial <keyword id="12616996" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="omicron" source="Orion">Omicron</keyword> wave in 2021.In hot spots like New York City, where infections surged, many pharmacies reported <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/22/business/walgreens-cvs-coronavirus-test-limits.html">selling out of take-home kits</a> containing rapid antigen tests when Omicron was peaking. <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/12/16/omicron-fears-spark-long-lines-short-supplies-for-covid-testing-in-nyc/">Lines were long</a> at testing hubs and sidewalk tents alike.Now, rapid tests are widely available. But the results you get from these tests aren't always perfect barometers of COVID-19 infections.Rapid tests have always been second to polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, assays when it comes to accuracy. While antigen tests deliver results in about 15 minutes, before the Omicron variant emerged they were only 58% accurate for people who didn't have symptoms, or 72% accurate for those who did, according to a <a href="https://www.cochrane.org/CD013705/INFECTN_how-accurate-are-rapid-tests-diagnosing-covid-19">Cochrane</a> review of more than 24,000 test samples. In comparison, a correctly done PCR test can return lab-approved results with 98% accuracy, according to the same study based on pre-Omicron data. It just takes longer to hear back — and you're supposed to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/isolate-before-after-covid-19-test-be-sure-of-results-2021-1">isolate while you wait</a>. If you opt for rapid results over the waiting game, here are a few things to keep in mind that could affect your test.<h2>Home-test kits have expiration dates</h2>At-home COVID-19 test kits are one of the more convenient inventions to come out of the pandemic. Multiple companies offer rapid antigen tests over the counter, with take-home kits often going for roughly $20 per two-test package.Although it might be tempting to stock up on home COVID-19 tests, keep in mind that the kits expire within several months to a year.Over-the-counter test kits typically have a sticker on the box indicating an expiration date and manufacturing date. The later date indicates the end of the test's shelf life, which might be sooner than you'd expect — <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-use-covid-rapid-test-binaxnow-accurate-results-2021-10">a BinaxNow test kit I bought at Walgreens</a> in September 2021 expired before the end of January 2022.Abbott, the manufacturer of the BinaxNow kits, <a href="https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/static/binax-now/COVID-19-Ag-Card-Product-Expiry-Update.pdf">extended their shelf lives</a> from six months to a year in May of last year, after a review from the Food and Drug Administration. Other companies have issued similar announcements, and it's possible we'll see the expiration dates pushed out further as the FDA continues to review stability studies.In the meantime, users of home-test kits should always assume a result from an expired test is wrong. <h2>Hot or cold temperatures can mess with test components</h2>The temperature at which you store your home-test kit matters. The little vials of liquid meant to be mixed with your sample are not designed to withstand extreme temperatures or humidity. "Don't use rapid tests when it's really cold. That can diminish their benefit or their efficacy," Michael Mina, chief <keyword id="11896083" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="science" source="Orion">science</keyword> officer of eMed, said on a call with journalists. "You want to do it at room temperature for the most part."Recommended temperatures for storage and preparation can vary among tests, so make sure to check the packaging first.The BinaxNow kit, for instance, can be stored from 35.6 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit, but a fine-print warning says to make sure all test components are at room temperature before use.<h2>What you ate for lunch could affect a throat swab</h2>If your COVID-19 test requires a throat swab instead of a nasal swab, what you eat before getting tested could also influence rapid results.Susan Butler-Wu, who directs clinical testing for infectious diseases at the University of Southern California, told Insider that <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-covid-lfd/fact-check-fruit-juices-and-coffee-cannot-produce-a-positive-test-result-for-covid-19-idUSL1N2OS2CH">coffee and Coca-Cola could cause false positives</a> if you're using an oral swab."You're going to swab your mouth after you just drank your coffee, you're gonna get a positive, potentially," she said.Anything acidic — like coffee, soda, or fruit juices — could "mess with the chemistry" of a rapid or lateral flow test. Butler-Wu clarified that this risk is pretty theoretical. One <a href="https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/Spectrum.00683-21?_ga=2.249627270.1809718081.1640221910-1100409305.1640032203">study</a> found that false positives showed up when unexpected substances were directly applied to test kits.But still, test sites and kits that involve oral swabs will warn you to avoid eating, drinking, and smoking for at least 30 minutes before the test. This advice might be familiar to folks <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing/how-to-do-a-test-at-home-or-at-a-test-site/how-to-do-a-rapid-lateral-flow-test/">in the UK</a>, where rapid tests commonly require a throat swab in addition to a nasal swab.You should also avoid brushing your teeth or using mouthwash before a throat swab, since good oral hygiene could <a href="https://www.insider.com/mouthwash-can-kill-coronavirus-in-lab-but-wont-stop-transmission-2020-11">temporarily wipe the virus out of your mouth</a> and lead to a false negative.<h2>At-home tests detect the Omicron variant well</h2>It was first believed that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-trust-rapid-covid-test-result-2021-12?r=US&amp;IR=T">rapid tests might not be very good at detecting Omicron</a>, a coronavirus variant that's — along with its many offshoots — demonstrated an ability to evade some of our immune defenses.But, that's no longer the case. <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.27.22271090v1">According to a study from March</a>, at-home rapid tests are "not inferior among individuals infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant as compared to the Delta variant."That is if you use the <keyword id="11996463" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="rapid-test" source="Orion">rapid test</keyword> correctly and wait at least three-to-five days since a COVID-19 exposure to swab yourself. Last December, it was confirmed that the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-at-home-coronavirus-tests-use-them-correctly-2021-8">Abbott BinaxNow and Quidel QuickVue antigen tests</a> seemed to detect Omicron as accurately as other variants, according to laboratory studies and an <a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/sars-cov-2-viral-mutations-impact-covid-19-tests?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery#omicron-reduced">FDA review</a>. The same review found that diagnostic tests from Applied DNA Sciences, Meridian Bioscience, and Tide Laboratories were more likely to return false negatives due to ineffective detection of the Omicron variant.

4 reasons your rapid COVID-19 test might show a false result

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The CDC has released new guidance stating the results of antibody tests are wrong half the time. </li><li>The agency also said that antibody tests shouldn't be used to make important decisions about re-opening.</li><li>The Food and Drug Administration has also said that antibody tests are not reliable.</li></ul>The CDC has released new <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/lab/resources/antibody-tests-guidelines.html">guidance</a> on antibody tests, warning that they can be wrong half the time and shouldn't be used to inform important policy decisions.The <keyword id="8966876" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="antibody-test">antibody test</keyword>, also known as a serologic test, is a blood test that checks the body to see if it has antibodies that can fight <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>, and can help people figure out if they had COVID-19 and recovered.The immune system creates antibodies to fight disease, and often these antibodies <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/when-to-take-an-antibody-test-for-coronavirus-covid-19-2020-5">remain in the body after recovery,</a> and can be donated to people currently fighting <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>.But this medical test is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/equation-shows-risk-of-coronavirus-antibody-testing-sensitivity-specificity-2020-5">often inaccurate.</a> Sometimes the test can result in a false positive, wrongly suggesting a patient does have coronavirus-fighting antibodies, or a false negative."Serologic test results should not be used to make decisions about grouping persons residing in or being admitted to congregate settings, such as schools, dormitories, or correctional facilities," it says on the CDC website. "Serologic test results should not be used to make decisions about returning persons to the workplace."Previously, employers had been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-making-coronavirus-immunity-tests-serology-blood-2020-4">considering relying on these tests</a> to determine when people could head back into workplaces, while hundreds of companies rushed to create their own version of the tests and hospitals offered these tests to healthcare workers, children, and anyone who wanted them.But even when these often-unreliable tests gave people a positive result, that wasn't something that carried any weight during a pandemic."Even when you log on to your healthcare portal, and it says, 'Congratulations, you are positive for Covid antibodies,' meaning you ostensibly have some immunity, it's not like something you can take to the bank," Dr. Andrew Noymer, a public health associate professor at the University of California Irvine, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/equation-shows-risk-of-coronavirus-antibody-testing-sensitivity-specificity-2020-5">previously told Insider.</a><h2>There is still a lot researchers don't understand about COVID-19 and antibodies</h2>Molly DeMellier, a 27-year-old girl who survived COVID-19, tried to donate blood to the Mount Sinai antibody trial. She assumed that since she survived the novel coronavirus, her body had produced antibodies that she could donate for other people sick with the disease. At Mount Sinai, she discovered she barely had enough antibodies to donate, raising more questions about the nature of antibodies and their possible use, Insider's Julia Naftulin previously reported."As with anything else in medicine, that there is probably a variable response that people's bodies have to this virus," Dr. David L. Reich, President and Chief Operating Officer of Mount Sinai, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/woman-with-covid-19-worried-she-could-get-it-again-2020-4?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">previously told Insider.</a> "And it's unclear if it has anything to do with severity of disease or other factors because it's just way too soon in the history of this disease to have figured that out."Millions of antibody tests, produced by hundreds of companies, are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-making-coronavirus-immunity-tests-serology-blood-2020-4">flooding the American market</a>. The FDA, which originally rushed to approve antibody tests, implemented a <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/fda-voices/insight-fdas-revised-policy-antibody-tests-prioritizing-access-and-accuracy">tougher testing system</a> on May 4 after the accuracy of those tests were called into question."It's a disaster. These tests are not worth anything, or have very little use," one CEO said, according to a recording provided to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-antibody-tests-not-accurate-enough-reopen-economy-2020-4">Business Insider</a> by the company. Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-says-antibody-test-results-wrong-half-the-time-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

CDC: Antibody test results are often wrong and should not be relied on

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="11900133" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="washington" source="Orion">Washington</keyword> AG sued a <keyword id="11964811" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus-testing" source="Orion">coronavirus testing</keyword> company saying it sent patients invalid test results.</li><li>"These sham testing centers threatened the health and safety of our communities," AG Robert Ferguson said.</li></ul>The state of Washington is suing the owners of a <keyword id="11893194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus" source="Orion">coronavirus</keyword> testing company, accusing them of providing people "invalid, false, and delayed" coronavirus test results.Washington Attorney General Robert Ferguson filed a lawsuit against the Center for Covid Control and its owners Akbar Syed and Aleya Siyaj in the King County Superior Court on Monday.In the 14-page suit, Ferguson claimed the Illinois-based company, which operated about 300 testing site locations nationwide, "threatened the health and safety" of Washington residents by "providing invalid <keyword id="11893994" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19" source="Orion">COVID-19</keyword> test results or no results at all.""Center for COVID Control contributed to the spread of COVID-19 when it provided false negative results," Ferguson said in a <a href="https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-files-lawsuit-against-center-covid-control-over-invalid-and-false">press release</a>. "These sham testing centers threatened the health and safety of our communities. They must be held accountable."Former employees of the company's testing lab, Doctors Clinical Laboratory, reported that the lab was unable to process the volume of tests it received — between 8,000 to 10,000 tests per day — and "engaged in practices that resulted in consumers receiving false negative test results," according to the complaint."These practices included storing tests in garbage bags strewn about its facility for over a week rather than properly refrigerating them, and backdating sample collection dates so that stale samples would still be processed," the lawsuit said.According to the news release, the company's director of operations told employees to falsely post-date samples to make them appear as if they were recently collected and still send them in for analysis so the company could likely bill the government or patients' insurance companies for the tests."I had been uneasy for nearly all of my short tenure at [Center for COVID Control], but as trash bags of tests piled up and my team was instructed to lie to patients on a daily basis, I had had enough," one former Illinois-based employee told authorities, per the press release. "I first requested a demotion from my shift lead position, and, shortly after that, I quit."The company operated 13 testing sites in Washington, but the company did not have a license to operate a business in any municipalities in the state except for Yakima. As of January 13, all of the testing sites in the state are closed.Center for COVID Control said in a <a href="https://www.centerforcovidcontrol.org/press-release">statement</a> on their website that all locations are "closed until further notice" and asked to report any locations that are "conducting business under the Center for Covid Control.""As previously announced, CCC is using this operational pause to train additional staff on sample collection and handling, customer service and communications best practices, as well as compliance with regulatory guidelines," according to the company's release.The Washington attorney general's lawsuit asked the court to order Center for COVID Control to cease operations, pay civil penalties of up to $12,500 per violation, and relinquish any profits made by the company during its operation, according to the news release.Representatives from the Center for COVID Control did not immediately return Insider's request for comment.

Washington state sued a 'sham' COVID-19 testing center claiming it sent patients 'invalid, false, and delayed' test results

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US's daily <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> cases have declined over the last two weeks.</li><li>The trend coincides with a decline in <keyword id="46701" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="testing">testing</keyword> per capita in hotspots like Florida, as well as a rise in test positivity rates across 32 states.</li><li>That means the decrease in cases could be driven by testing shortages or delays. </li></ul>It seems like good <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword>: The US's weekly average of new coronavirus cases dipped 6% this week compared to last, and 8% compared to two weeks prior. On the surface, the nation's outbreak looks to be declining after June's dramatic case surge.But the recent downturn in cases may be "significantly overstated," <a href="https://twitter.com/IanShepherdson/status/1290299264120348672">according to Ian Shepherdson</a>, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, because testing has fallen at the same pace.Testing per capita has declined steadily in at least six states — Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Utah, and Washington — over the last two weeks. Meanwhile, <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/tracker/overview">test positivity rates have risen</a> in 32 states during the same time frame, according to data from Johns Hopkins University."If cases are declining with the number of tests being performed, it is important to look at the percent positivity of tests," Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, told Business Insider. "If that statistic is increasing, that tells you that the outbreak is growing and the number of cases declining is a testing artifact."A declining share of positive tests (or percent positivity) is a sign the US has enough testing capacity to detect the majority of coronavirus cases. But a rising positivity rate indicates that testing capacity has fallen short."When you see percent positivity rising, that usually means that not every case is being captured by this system," Adalja said in June. "All new cases should be something that's already on the radar of public health officials — and that's not probably the case where you have percent positivity rising."Overall, the US's seven-day moving average for percent positivity hovers around 7.7%, down from 8.5% two weeks ago — meaning it has "has dipped only marginally," Shepherdson wrote in an analysis published Monday.Dr. Howard Koh, a professor at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-coronavirus-cases-deaths-real-scale-estimates-charts-2020-7">previously told Business Insider</a> that a positivity rate between 7% and 9% is "very disturbing." The World Health Organization recommends that governments see a 5% or lower positivity rate for at least 14 days — or lock down to get an outbreak under control. At the moment, 14 states, including Arizona, Florida, and Texas, have positivity rates above 10%. Two states — Alabama and Mississippi — have positivity rates above 20%."Looking at it as a nation, it doesn't really give you a good picture of this outbreak, because it's really heterogeneous and it's always been regional," Adalja said. "You've got places like Pennsylvania and New York that are bringing down the percent positivity, whereas other places are bringing it up."The hardest-hit states are also seeing weeks-long delays in test results, and the way cases are recorded still varies from county to county. On aggregate, that makes it hard to tell if cases are indeed falling.<h2>Testing has been backlogged for weeks</h2><div type="image" title="US coronavirus test" height="1572" width="2000" msid="77360868" hostid="261"></div>The US has ramped up testing considerably in recent months. As of Monday, the US is administering 174 tests for every 100,000 people per day, putting it second in the world behind Hong Kong in testing per capita. In total, the US has administered more than 57 million coronavirus tests. But delays and shortages are still a problem: In its <a href="https://www.acla.com/acla-update-on-pcr-testing-capacity-for-covid-19/">latest update</a> on July 14, the American Clinical Laboratory Association reported that "many labs are now receiving more test orders than they are able to process in a single day."LabCorp CEO Adam Schechter <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/22/labcorp-ceo-coronavirus-is-spreading-faster-than-testing-expansion.html">told CNBC</a> last month that the company was struggling to raise testing capacity to keep up with the rapid spread of the virus. And Quest, another of the country's largest diagnostic testing companies, has also struggled return results quickly. "Persistent high demand has strained our testing capacity and extended delays for test results," Quest reported on July 27. Non-hospitalized patients would have to wait a week to learn if they're infected, the company said at the time, though Quest reported on Monday that it had lowered its average turnaround time to five days.<h2>Some states aren't listing 'probable' cases</h2><div type="image" title="coronavirus test queue" height="1294" width="2000" msid="77360871" hostid="261"></div>The way states are choosing to report cases might also play a role in the falling numbers. There are two FDA-approved methods for diagnosing an active infection: a standard PCR test, which detects the virus' genetic material, or an antigen test, which detects the spiky proteins on the virus' surface. PCR tests are generally more reliable, but the results need to be analyzed in a laboratory, so they can take several days.Antigen tests usually produce results in less than an hour, but they have a higher chance of false negatives — and they don't always count as part of a state's official tally. Instead, a person with signs of the virus who tested positive with an antigen test is listed as a "probable" case. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises all states to report probable cases, but only 27 states have done so, according to the <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investigations/article/Thousands-of-Texans-are-getting-rapid-result-15452709.php">Houston Chronicle</a>. The paper's analysis found that in Texas specifically, only 11 counties publish antigen test results, and those results don't factor into the state's tally. That could mean Texas' official case count is missing tens of thousands of infections."The only way people will be inspired to act right without government mandates is if they have the information they need to make smart choices," Texas Representative Gina Hinojosa <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investigations/article/Thousands-of-Texans-are-getting-rapid-result-15452709.php">told the Chronicle</a> on Sunday. "And that has been just impossible to come by."<h2>It's hard to know the scope of the outbreak without sufficient testing</h2>President Donald Trump has <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1290257055534551043">attributed the US's extremely high case count</a> to "big testing" efforts. "We have more cases because we have tested far more than any other country," Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1290257055534551043">tweeted</a> on Saturday. He added: "If we tested less, there would be less cases."But the country's high percent positivity rate suggests the virus is still spreading rampantly. So do its hospitalization numbers, which have declined recently but are still high: More than 53,000 Americans are currently in the hospital with COVID-19. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/26/coronavirus-contact-tracing-is-not-going-well-fauci-says.html">told CNBC</a> that the country should ideally be "flooding the system with testing, so you really get a good handle about what is going on in the community."A pandemic <a href="https://ethics.harvard.edu/Covid-Roadmap">roadmap from Harvard experts</a> suggested the US should have scaled up to 20 million tests per day by the end of July. The country has yet to hit 1 million daily tests.

You Searched For "Covid 19 test" and got 10 results

Rich New Yorkers are paying people $80 an hour to wait in long lines for them at COVID-19 testing centers

Kate Duffy

United Airlines will trial free COVID-19 tests for passengers flying from New Jersey to London, and anyone that refuses won't be allowed on board

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The UK's largest pharmacy chain Boots is now selling private COVID-19 tests for $155, but warns they're unsuitable 'for anyone who thinks they may have COVID-19'

Grace Dean

A key Biden COVID-19 advisor says Trump's 'Warp Speed' vaccine scheme should be overhauled to put more emphasis on testing

Grace Dean

Biden requires health insurers to cover the cost of at-home COVID-19 tests amid growing concern over the Omicron variant

Lauren Frias

CVS is hiring 15,000 new staff to cope with an expected rise of COVID-19 cases and the potential rollout of a vaccine

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4 reasons your rapid COVID-19 test might show a false result

Andrea Michelson

CDC: Antibody test results are often wrong and should not be relied on

Shira Feder

Washington state sued a 'sham' COVID-19 testing center claiming it sent patients 'invalid, false, and delayed' test results

Lauren Frias

US coronavirus testing is going in the wrong direction. Declines could partially explain why cases seem to be dropping.

Aria Bendix

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