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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Biden is planning to give out 500 million free COVID test kits, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/12/21/1066167265/biden-to-announce-free-covid-tests-more-aid-for-hospitals-to-deal-with-omicron?t=1640081806473">NPR</a> and the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fbiden-administration-to-distribute-500-million-at-home-covid-19-test-kits-11640080802%3Fmod%3Dlatest_headlines">WSJ reported.</a></li><li>Press Sec. Psaki recently dismissed the idea with sarcasm at a press briefing.</li></ul>President Joe Biden is planning to announce on Tuesday that 500 million free at-home COVID-19 test kits will be sent to Americans as part of plans to fight the Omicron variant, several reports said.A senior administration official told reporters on Monday about the plan and Biden's speech, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/12/21/1066167265/biden-to-announce-free-covid-tests-more-aid-for-hospitals-to-deal-with-omicron?t=1640081806473">NPR reported</a>. They said the kits would be sent to people who wanted them, starting in January, per NPR.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fbiden-administration-to-distribute-500-million-at-home-covid-19-test-kits-11640080802%3Fmod%3Dlatest_headlines">The Wall Street Journal also reported</a> the 500 million figure.Experts had been <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-biden-administration-should-offer-free-at-home-covid-testing/">calling</a> for the Biden administration to make at-home test kits available for free to Americans.But White House Press Secretary <keyword id="11910489" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jen-psaki" source="Orion">Jen Psaki</keyword> dismissed the idea on December 6.NPR Political Correspondent Mara Liasson asked Psaki in the White House: "Why not just make them free and give them out to — and have them available everywhere?"Psaki then responded with sarcasm, asking: "Should we just send one to every American?"Watch the exchange here:Liasson then responded "Maybe," and Psaki added: "Then what happens if every American has one test? How much does that cost, and then what happens after that?"Liasson then noted that other countries have been giving citizens free tests that they can do at home.Psaki's comments were <a href="https://qz.com/2099696/the-white-houses-jen-psaki-was-wrong-about-rapid-antigen-testing/">met with criticism</a>, including from <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10284841/Doctors-slam-Psaki-mocking-idea-mailing-free-home-COVID-tests-Americans.html">doctors</a>. Free at-home testing has become a core part of some countries' plans to fight the virus.In the UK, for example, people can order packs of seven test kits to their homes, which are mailed free of charge.

Biden admin plans to give out free COVID-19 testing kits, reports say, 2 weeks after Jen Psaki sarcastically dismissed the idea

<ul class="summary-list"><li>COVID-19 at-home tests were scarce as the Omicron variant spread throughout the US. </li><li>Some families desperate to save <keyword id="12165772" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="test" source="Orion">test</keyword>s used the same swab to test everyone, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2022/01/sharing-rapid-tests/621318/">the Atlantic</a> reported. </li></ul>As the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-trust-rapid-covid-test-result-2021-12">Omicron</a> variant swept through the country, COVID-19 at home rapid tests were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-test-omicron-cause-chaos-at-pharmacies-workers-say-2021-12">in high demand</a> and hard to come by – so some desperate families decided to test multiple people with one swab, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2022/01/sharing-rapid-tests/621318/">the Atlantic</a> reported. Public health experts, however, warn that the method may not yield accurate results and called sharing mucus with others "unsafe" and "gross.""From a public-health perspective, the idea of sticking swabs up each other's noses doesn't sound like a great thing to do," Jennifer Nuzzo, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told the Atlantic.Elena Korngold, a radiologist told the publication that late last month she first used a swab from a BinaxNOW test in her nostrils before passing the swab to her husband, who swabbed his own nostrils. The couple's two kids then swabbed their own nostrils. They then tested that sample, which came back negative. The Atlantic reported that the method draws inspiration from pool PCR testing, which is normally done at <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/universities-are-using-vaccine-mandates-and-testing-to-handle-pandemic-2021-10">schools like Northeastern University</a> or large institutions like hospitals. The method takes individually provided samples from asymptomatic people which are then combined to run as one test. If that test comes back positive, each individual sample would then be tested. However, experts told the Atlantic that pool PCR testing was designed to accommodate multiple samples, whereas at-home tests work are meant for just one sample. However, Susan Butler-Wu, a clinical microbiologist at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine, told the Atlantic that combining samples from multiple people in an at-home test could dilute the virus sample, which is needed for the test to work. It's not just whether or not this creative testing method would work to pick up a COVID-19 case, health experts said. The chance of someone spreading COVID-19 to a house member is between <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.09.22268984v1.full.pdf">15% and 35%</a> but Nuzzo told the Atlantic that this "intranasal promiscuity" could further spread not just the <keyword id="11893194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus" source="Orion">coronavirus</keyword>, but other germs as well.

Desperate to preserve at-home COVID-19 testing kits, some families are sharing a single test. Health experts say this 'intranasal promiscuity' is gross and yields inaccurate results.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="11908406" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="biden-administration" source="Orion">Biden administration</keyword> is buying 1 billion at-home COVID-19 test kits to give Americans for free.</li><li>The US Postal Service on Tuesday launched a website, in beta form, where people can order the tests.</li></ul>The Biden administration <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-admin-free-covid-test-kits-psaki-recently-dismissed-idea-2021-12">is purchasing</a> 1 billion at-home, rapid COVID-19 tests to distribute to Americans at no cost in response to a rise in cases spurred in part by the highly contagious <keyword id="12616996" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="omicron" source="Orion">Omicron</keyword> variant.The US Postal Service, which is distributing the tests, <a href="https://special.usps.com/testkits">launched its website</a> on Tuesday in a beta testing phase. While the site is operating at a limited capacity ahead of a full launch on Wednesday, orders are being accepted. The official <keyword id="11896084" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="white-house" source="Orion">White House</keyword> website where Americans can order tests, <a href="https://www.covidtests.gov/">covidtests.gov</a>, is set to go fully live on January 19.Here's what we know about how and when Americans can get a free test kit. <h2>When can I get a free test? </h2>Americans can order tests at no cost from the <a href="https://special.usps.com/testkits">US Postal Service</a> starting on Tuesday and at <a href="https://www.covidtests.gov/">covidtests.gov</a> starting on January 19. Test kits are expected to ship in seven to 12 days, the White House said. Orders placed on the US Postal Service website on Tuesday said the tests would begin to ship "in late January."Eight different brands of at-home, rapid COVID tests are authorized for use by the Food and Drug Administration. The White House has officially reached a deal with the US Postal Service to distribute the 500 million tests, and it plans to order an additional 500 million tests on top of its initial order. <h2>Will the government automatically send free rapid test kits to all American households? </h2>No. Americans who want free tests need to order them. The free test kits are limited to four per address, the White House said, with high-risk communities and those hardest hit by the Omicron variant prioritized for access to tests. <h2>Is my state or city giving out free <keyword id="8962516" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-test" source="Orion">COVID test</keyword> kits?</h2>Depending on where you live, yes!Major cities, such as <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>, and states — including Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Washington, Iowa, Ohio, Maryland, and Colorado — are offering free COVID-19 test kits to some or all residents, <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">NPR</a> reported.<h2>Can I get the cost of a COVID-19 rapid test reimbursed by my insurance in the meantime?</h2>Yes.The Biden administration announced in early December that it would also issue a mandate requiring private insurers to fully reimburse the cost of up to eight rapid, at-home COVID-19 test kits purchased over the counter per month. The reimbursement requirement officially went into effect on January 15.But the reimbursement mandate won't be retroactive for past purchases, which means the millions of Americans who bought rapid test kits in preparation for the holidays have to shoulder those costs out of pocket. Vermont <a href="https://governor.vermont.gov/press-release/vermont-adopts-emergency-rule-expanding-insurance-coverage-covid-19-rapid-home-tests">has a state-level mandate</a> that requires all insurers who operate in the state to reimburse all over-the-counter tests.But while most major private insurers cover the costs of COVID-19 tests conducted in a medical setting or at a test site, many insurers will only reimburse over-the-counter COVID test kits that were ordered by a doctor.

The Biden administration is buying 1 billion rapid COVID-19 test kits to give Americans for free. Here's how to get one.

<ul><li>Several incidences of abusive behavior across the country show that health workers are facing unexpected problems while battling the deadly Coronavirus pandemic. </li><li>There were reports that quarantined people in Delhi misbehaved with the nurses. </li><li>In Indore, a shocking video of an angry local mob attacking healthcare workers and civic officials was recorded on camera. </li></ul>A couple of weeks ago, the whole country was cheering the frontline warriors of the coronavirus fighting the battle for all of India. However, several incidences of abusive behaviour across the country explains that these healthcare workers are facing unexpected problems while battling the deadly Coronavirus pandemic. "Occupants were unruly since morning and made unreasonable demands for food items. They misbehaved and abused staff at the quarantine centre. They started spitting all over and on persons working/attending them including doctors. They also started roaming around the hostel building,” said Deepak Kumar, CPRO, Northern Railway. On April 1, a few participants of Tablighi Jamaat, who have been put in quarantine facilities in Delhi, sang obscene songs and misbehaved with healthcare staff and spat at the doctors and nurses. In Indore, a shocking video of an angry local mob attacking healthcare workers and civic officials was recorded on camera. Moreover, 100 other locals were abusing the health workers who came to take the samples. Seven people were arrested in this incident for injuring two female doctors in Taatpatti Bakhal area of Madhya Pradesh. <div type="twitter" handle="anandrai177" handlename="Dr.ANAND RAI" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1242484839447588865/8P1qAi2b_normal.jpg" favoritecount="3206" retweetcount="2005" status="Attack on doctors during sample collection in tatpatti bakhal, indore. This is shameful,how we will work in this a… https://t.co/WSDRle8pke" createdat="1585763521000" id="1245408589931397121"></div>Separately, a doctor and other health workers in Hyderabad were also assaulted by the relatives of a 49-year old who succumbed to coronavirus. Indian health authorities are fighting against the stigma and taboo that has been in India for a long time. If there’s anything that India has learnt in the last few years is that mob mentality spreads like wildfire. There’s no sealing the panic and unruly behaviour Whatsapp rumours can cause. Facing the danger Apart from the abuse, healthcare workers are facing serious dangers too. Most doctors lack PPE kits that can protect them from catching infection as they come in contact with the infected. They are also frustrated with the fact that many people take the transmission and contraction casually. “There have been some isolated incidents that have been unfortunate and that have lowered the morale of the community, when they are not given the kind of cooperation they want. They could be comfortably sitting at home, being on social media, watching TV. But, they are risking their lives and one would expect everyone to come together and be responsible and would cooperate,” Anupam Sibal, group medical director and senior pediatrician with the Apollo Hospital Group Moreover, the scale of this outbreak can also cause trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder. These people have been separating themselves from their families to prevent infection, resulting in anxiety and depression. The long hours and stressful work isn’t helping either. While India is yet to deal with any such cases, a<a href="https://ourcommunitynow.com/news-local/colorado-er-doctor-brings-comfort-dog-to-hospital-to-soothe-health-care-wokers"> hospital in Colorado in the US</a> brought comfort dogs to soothe the team of doctors fighting coronavirus which allows them to calm down while meditating with the dog. In India however few measures are being taken to calm the nerves. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/videos/misc/indians-got-so-excited-about-janta-curfew-they-failed-its-purpose-in-battling-coronavirus/videoshow/74961421.cms">Coronavirus cases in India </a>

Indian doctors have an unexpected problem while battling Coronavirus

New Delhi, Apr 10 () Realty firm Puravankara Ltd has donated 500 coronavirus testing kits to the Karnataka government that can help test 5,000 people. Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa tweeted, "Appreciate the contribution of Ashish Puravankara, MD of Purvankara Group who donated 500 Covid testing kits today. This will help test 5000 people as each kit can test 10 people." "To help augment the government's efforts, Puravankara has committed to procure approved testing kits, which will be managed by the state's authorities. These tests will be administered free of cost for the people of Karnataka," the Bengaluru-based developer said in a statement. MJH ABMABM

Puravankara donates 500 coronavirus testing kits to Karnataka govt

<ul><li><keyword id="55796" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kiran-Mazumdar-Shaw">Kiran Mazumdar Shaw</keyword>, chairperson and managing director of <keyword id="6358361" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="biocon">Biocon</keyword>, said that she is willing to provide free testing kits for <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>.</li><li>Shaw mentioned that she is working with Apollo to figure out how they can provide testing for the deadly virus. </li><li>She is an advisor for Apollo’s Stay I project – where Apollo is building quarantine facilities. </li></ul><keyword id="25931" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="billionaire">Billionaire</keyword> entrepreneur and the founder of Biocon, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw said that her company is willing to provide free testing kits for coronavirus. During a conference call with the media for the launch of Apollo’s Project Stay I – an initiative to make way for 5,000 rooms as quarantine facilities across the country, Shaw mentioned that she is working with Apollo to figure out how they can provide testing for the deadly virus. During the call, Apollo’s joint managing director Sangita Reddy mentioned that Shaw created a WhatsApp group to get the industry leaders together and build solutions for Covid-19. Shaw is an advisor for Apollo’s Stay I project. “There’s a short window of opportunity for us to make a success out of this quarantine. Project Stay I is a very important initiative that is being embarked upon, It needs to be emulated by all the hospitals and hotel chains in the country. This is a step up model. People with mild, asymptomatic, as well as positive can be placed here and only serious cases can go to the ICU,” Shaw said during the call. “We need to be in a state of preparedness,” she said. Apollo has pooled 5000 rooms from Lemon Tree, Ginger and Oyo at a discount. These isolation rooms will be made available with medically supervised beds in Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Delhi. The project will start with approximately 500 in Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, going up by 50 rooms every three days. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/apollo-hospitals-partners-with-oyo-zomato-and-sbi-and-others-to-offer-5000-quarantine-rooms-to-coronavirus-patients/articleshow/74887301.cms">Apollo Hospitals partners with Oyo, Zomato, SBI and others to offer 5,000 quarantine rooms to Coronavirus patients</a>

Billionaire Kiran Mazumdar Shaw says she is willing to provide free testing for coronavirus

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Maryland Gov. <keyword id="2584576" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Larry-Hogan">Larry Hogan</keyword> announced that the state had obtained 5,000 test kits to detect the novel <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> from a laboratory in <keyword id="5565" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="South-Korea">South Korea</keyword>.</li><li>The operation, which took weeks of negotiations with Korean and U.S. officials, will allow Maryland to issue 500,000 tests, Hogan said.</li><li>Hogan, a Republican, is just one of several governors who have complained about the federal government's inability to distribute enough coronavirus tests to accurately detect and track the outbreak. The procurement yet again demonstrates the extreme lengths states have to go through in order to obtain necessary equipment to combat the virus.</li><li>Maryland's First Lady, Yumi Hogan, is a Korean immigrant and played an instrumental role in obtaining the tests by negotiating with two different labs in South Korea.</li><li>Gov. Hogan, a Republican who once reportedly weighed a primary challenge to President Trump, has not held back in criticizing the administration's response to the crisis.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Amid a sustained national shortage of coronavirus tests, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan finally managed to find some — about 7,000 miles away.The governor, a Republican, announced on Monday that he had secured thousands of test kits from a laboratory in South Korea, which landed at BWI Marshal Airport in Baltimore on Saturday. Maryland First Lady Yumi Hogan, a Korean immigrant and fluent speaker, played a key role in hammering out a deal with South Korea to obtain the tests. The initiative, dubbed "Operation Enduring Friendship," will allow Maryland to issue 500,000 tests, Hogan said at a press conference on Monday. He called it an "exponential, game changing step forward," that would help save thousands of Marylanders.Hogan said he hoped testing would begin immediately, but because processing tests requires certain facilities and equipment, he conceded that "it's going to take a while to ramp up all of the things that we need to utilize all this."Maryland's saga to obtain more tests for its citizens underscores the drastic lengths to which states have to go to obtain viable tests for the coronavirus, even as the White House released <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-to-release-plan-to-ease-coronavirus-restrictions-2020-4">an ambitious roadmap</a> for lifting social distancing measures that relies heavily on identifying coronavirus infections on a mass scale.The state's efforts began on March 28, Hogan said. What ensued was "22 straight days" of negotiations with the South Korean government, as well as the U.S.' Food and Drug Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Customs and Border Protection. Yumi Hogan worked late into the night on calls to help facilitate conversations between the Maryland government and stakeholders in South Korea, her husband said.On Saturday, a Korean Air flight touched down at BWI with no passengers, but a precious cargo of 5,000 test kits produced by Lab Genome laboratory in South Korea.At the time of Hogan's announcement, Maryland <a href="https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/">had recorded</a> a total of 13,684 COVID-19 cases and 516 deaths.As of Monday afternoon, the state has conducted more than 71,000 tests over the course of the outbreak, according to The Atlantic's <a href="https://covidtracking.com/data">COVID-19 Tracking Project.</a> Nearly 3.9 million tests have been conducted across the entire U.S. country since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak.But health experts say that America needs to be testing potentially millions of people — both symptomatic and asymptomatic — each week in order to accurately understand the scope of the virus' spread. Only then, these experts say, will it be safe to consider lifting stay at home orders, non-essential business closures, and other social distancing measures that have helped blunt the impact of the virus but have caused widespread economic devastation.Governors like Hogan have raised concerns that they did not yet have enough testing capacity to begin thinking about the reopening process."The administration I think is trying to ramp up testing, they are doing some things with respect to private labs. But to try to push this off to say that the governors have plenty of testing and they should just to get to work on testing, somehow we are not doing our job — is just absolutely false," Hogan said on Sunday during an appearance on <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/19/coronavirus-maryland-gov-says-its-absolutely-false-states-are-ready-to-reopen.html">CNN's State of the Union.</a>Hogan said Monday that he hoped to meet an ambitious target of conducting 20,000 tests a day in his state.On March 30, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-maryland-governor-larry-hogan-issues-stay-at-home-order-2020-3">Hogan officially ordered residents to stay at home</a> unless conducting essential tasks like shopping for food or medicine or caring for pets. Violators could face misdemeanor charges, and be fined or face jail time. Two neighboring jurisdictions — the state of Virginia, and the District of Columbia — quickly followed suit.Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/maryland-larry-hogan-coronavirus-test-kits-south-korea-2020-4">Business Insider</a>

Maryland's frustrated Republican governor obtained thousands of coronavirus test kits from South Korea

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="80487" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="walmart">Walmart</keyword> and <keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> are selling mail-in <keyword id="8885979" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Covid-19-test">COVID-19 test</keyword> kits by <keyword id="10683140" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mylab-box">MyLab Box</keyword> and <keyword id="10683141" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="dxterity">DxTerity</keyword>, respectively.</li><li>I tried both tests and found that Amazon's DxTerity kit was better than Walmart's MyLab Box.</li><li>The DxTerity kit was superior for two reasons: faster result turnaround time and clearer instructions</li></ul>During a time of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/democrats-trump-administration-fight-over-need-for-a-coronavirus-commission-2020-7?r=bc-sub">virus misinformation</a> and a spiking number of <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> cases, testing accessibility is paramount. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/study-rapid-testing-make-dent-into-covid-19-six-weeks-2020-11">Studies have shown</a> that widespread COVID-19 testing is vital to slowing down the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> pandemic. But depending on the time of year and where you live, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/drive-thru-coronavirus-testing-lines-photos-2020-7">accessing these tests may be difficult</a>, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-covid-test-centers-hiring-people-wait-taskrabbit-thanksgiving-2020-11?r=bc-sub">lines could end up being hours long</a>.As a result, the <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-at-home-covid-19-tests">at-home COVID-19 testing kit market</a> is becoming saturated, and many big-name retailers like Amazon and Walmart are now starting to sell these kits as well.I decided to try the mail-in COVID-19 tests that are now being offered through Walmart and Amazon, and found that the testing kit being sold by Amazon was superior for several reasons.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-covid-test-centers-hiring-people-wait-taskrabbit-thanksgiving-2020-11?r=bc-sub">Rich New Yorkers are paying people $80 an hour to wait in long lines for them at COVID-19 testing centers</a><a href="https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2020/12/03/expanding-access-to-covid-19-testing-with-at-home-test-collection-kits">On December 3, Walmart said it would begin offering MyLab Box's</a> mail-in COVID-19 tests. One month later, Amazon announced it would do the same with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-coronavirus-test-fda-approved-covid-saliva-test-2021-1">DxTerity's COVID-19 testing kit</a>. Both kits have been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration under its <a href="https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/mcm-legal-regulatory-and-policy-framework/emergency-use-authorization">Emergency Use Authorization.</a>I decided to try both tests. See what the experience was like:<h2>The type of tests and the price</h2><div type="image" title="DxTerity mylab box mail-in COVID-19 testing kit." height="1488" width="1984" msid="80615610" hostid="261"></div>I ordered <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/amazon">Amazon'</a>s DxTerity and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/walmart">Walmart</a>'s MyLab Box COVID-19 test saliva collection kits. Walmart also carries MyLab Box's nasal swab kit, and both the saliva and nasal swabs kits can be ordered with standard or express shipping. In the interest of pricing and testing consistency, I ordered the MyLabBox saliva kit with standard shipping.The price made me wince. Both cost me $118.53, which is hefty compared to the free testing clinics near me. While you're obviously paying for convenience, it would be hard for anyone who doesn't live a financially cushioned life to take these at-home tests frequently.I ordered my Amazon and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jamba-using-robot-arm-smoothies-blendid-walmart-2020-12">Walmart kits</a> on the same day and created my MyLab Box account the day after with a code I had received from Walmart.You won't need to use either of the e-commerce platforms after placing your order: DxTerity and MyLab Box both handle the shipment and processing of their respective kits.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-making-fast-home-coronavirus-tests-sherlock-mammoth-e25-2020-10?r=bc-sub">Meet the 11 companies racing to make coronavirus tests that cost as little as $5 and deliver results in under 15 minutes</a>Amazon's DxTerity kit arrived on my doorstep before Walmart's MyLab Box. After receiving the packages, I registered both kits on their respective websites so I could later view my COVID-19 test results.Both MyLab Box and DxTerity test-takers can register their kit using the ID code found on the saliva collection tube. Luckily, setting up the accounts only took a few minutes.If you've never taken an at-home COVID-19 saliva test before, the process is simple. To boil it down, all you have to do is spit into a test tube and mail the tube back to its lab by dropping it off at a FedEx drop box. MyLab Box samples can also be delivered to a UPS depot.Walmart's MyLab Box can provide results within 48 hours after the lab receives the sample, while Amazon's DxTerity results are ready within 72 hours.<h2>Walmart's testing kit: MyLab Box. A surprising struggle.</h2><div type="image" title="MyLab Box mail-in COVID-19 testing kit." height="1647" width="2196" msid="80615612" hostid="261"></div>Both MyLab Box and DxTerity's testing instructions state that test-takers shouldn't eat, drink, or smoke anything 30 minutes before taking the saliva sample. As a morning coffee consumer taking two COVID-19 tests at 7 a.m., I found this protocol a bit hard to adhere to, but I'm obviously just complaining about the small things now.The MyLab Box came with:<ul><li>instructions</li><li>a lab requisition form that asks for your personal information</li><li>a mailing return label</li><li>a test tube for my saliva sample</li><li>a biohazard specimen collection bag with a small, presumably absorbent, sheet inside</li><li>a small box to put my test tube in</li><li>a UPS bag used to mail my sample to the lab</li></ul>There was also a small sheet inside the UPS bag, but I assumed this was also another absorbent sheet.After reading the instructions and filling in the lab requisition form, I opened up the test tube to begin the sample collection process.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/digital-health-startup-ro-future-relies-on-testing-2021-1?r=bc-sub">$1.5 billion digital-health startup Ro wants to be your online doctor. Here's how its coronavirus response rooted in rapid at-home testing fits into the new unicorn's long-term strategy.</a>Taking the saliva sample is easy: all you have to do is spit into the test tube until you hit the fill line. Luckily, the tube came with a helpful little funnel to prevent a spit spray from missing the tube (you're welcome for that imagery). I then capped the funnel lid - which released a stabilizing solution into my sample- replaced the funnel top with the provided cap, and shook the tube for five seconds, as per the instructions.<div type="image" title="MyLab Box mail-in COVID-19 testing kit." height="1406" width="1875" msid="80615615" hostid="261"></div>This is where it gets confusing.The instructions say to place the test tube in the biohazard collection bag, seal the bag up, put the bag in the box, place the absorbent sheet on top, and then close the box.However, the graphic next to these instructions showed something different. Here, the specimen bag and test tube look like they're about to be placed on top of some bubble wrap inside the box, and the absorbent sheet looks like it's near the UPS bag, but not about to be placed inside the box.<div type="image" title="MyLab Box's mail-in COVID-19 testing kit" height="1875" width="2500" msid="80615616" hostid="261"></div>Bubble wrap? I never received bubble wrap in my package.The instructions also didn't mention what to do with the second sheet. Was the smaller sheet found inside the specimen collection bag supposed to stay inside the bag? Or was that the sheet that was supposed to be placed on top of the bag inside of the closed box? And if the latter is the case, what do I do with the larger sheet that came inside the UPS bag? <div type="image" title="MyLab Box mail-in COVID-19 testing kit." height="1875" width="2500" msid="80615619" hostid="261"></div>Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-micro-fufillment-pickup-and-delivery-store-local-fulfillment-center-2021-1?r=bc-sub">Walmart is doubling down on micro-fulfillment centers and working with these 3 startups to cut down on delivery times</a>Confused, I ended up placing the smaller sheet on top of the specimen bag and inside the box, while leaving the larger sheet inside the UPS bag. This felt wrong, but the instructions weren't clear enough to guide me in the right direction.I slid the closed box - filled with the smaller absorbent sheet and the collection bag with my spit-filled test tube - into the UPS bag along with the larger sheet, and sealed the package closed.I was paranoid I had messed up the test but decided to move forward.<h2>Amazon's testing kit: DxTerity. Pleasantly straightforward.</h2><div type="image" title="DxTerity's mail-in COVID-19 testing kit." height="1776" width="2369" msid="80615620" hostid="261"></div>Now, onto Amazon's DxTerity kit.The kit came with:<ul><li>instructions</li><li>a test tube</li><li>a specimen collection plastic bag with a small white absorbent sheet</li></ul>Saliva collection with DxTerity's kit is also straightforward: just spit into the test tube until your saliva reaches the thin sqiggly line. Like MyLab Box's test, DxTerity's test tube also came with a handy funnel.And yes, after spitting into two test tubes, I was parched.As per the instructions, after my spit reached the line, I replaced the funnel with a "fluid cap," which released the blue "viral RNA inactivation and stabilization solution" into my collection of saliva.<div type="image" title="DxTerity's mail-in COVID-19 testing kit." height="1709" width="2279" msid="80615621" hostid="261"></div>Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/over-40-of-amazon-employees-support-unionization-insider-survey-shows-2021-1?r=bc-sub">More than 40% of surveyed Amazon employees say they wished they were in a union, a new Insider survey shows</a>Afterward, I tightened the cap, shook the tube for five seconds, and dropped it into the specimen bag. This time, the instructions told its test takers to keep the absorbent sheet inside the bag. Unlike the MyLab Box kit, the DxTerity saliva sample can be sent to the lab directly in the box that it came in. No need for a new label or a separate UPS bag. All I had to do was put the test tube inside the sample bag, place the sample bag inside the box, seal the box, and then send the box full of my spit off. <h2>Drop off was easy - I live near several FedEx drop boxes</h2><div type="image" title="amazon walmart covid testing kit" height="1654" width="2206" msid="80615623" hostid="261"></div>With my two packages ready to go, I looked up the closest FedEx drop boxes near me. Luckily, finding a drop box was pretty easy, and I was able to send my packages off in the morning well before the box's collection time. Time to say goodbye to my test kits, and hello to my water bottle.<h2>Results</h2>Results from in-person testing sites near me will often come back within 48 hours. I didn't get this same perk with either of my mail-in tests.However, one test result came back much faster than the other.I completed and dropped off both tests on January 19, and received an email from DxTerity on January 21 notifying me of my COVID-19 results. Delighted by the quick results, I logged onto my DxTerity profile and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-require-a-negative-covid-19-test-from-international-travelers-2021-1">was relieved to see "negative."</a> According to my result paperwork, my collection's accession date was on January 20, hence the fast turnaround time.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiaa-free-coronavirus-tests-employee-benefits-2020-12?r=bc-sub">TIAA's CHRO shares how the company rolled out free at home coronavirus testing to 14,000 employees in just 5 weeks</a>However, MyLab Box, which had already caused me some grief during the testing process, was not as quick. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FCOVID-19-At-Home-Test-Kit-Saliva-Sample-STANDARD-Shipping-by-myLAB-Box%2F925796262%3Fathcpid%3D925796262%26athpgid%3DathenaItemPage%26athcgid%3Dnull%26athznid%3DPWVUB%26athieid%3Dv0%26athstid%3DCS004%26athguid%3Dd7a155a5-007-1774fda3d24df3%26athancid%3Dnull%26athena%3Dtrue">Walmart states</a> that the kit can provide results within 24 to 48 hours after the lab has received the sample, but this was not the case.Seven days after mailing in my test, I finally received an email from MyLab Box on January 26 notifying me of my COVID-19 test result. But when I clicked on my negative results to read the report, I was confused. The document said my test was collected on January 9 and reported on January 22. It also stated that my testing report was generated on January 29.When asked about the result turnaround time, MyLab Box's customer service manager told Insider in an email that the majority of its tests have a 24 to 48 hour result turnaround time, but on "rare occasions," this may differ due to shipping delays and demand spikes."We are all living in unprecedented times which pose many unexpected challenges to delivery services, health facilities, and our staff alike," the email read. "We pride ourselves on our rapid turnaround time, in fact, it is a key performance metric we hold ourselves accountable to both internally and our valued partners nationwide."And in regards to the test result report, the company says the dates are "mainly intended for internal monitoring and some reporting purposes."At this time all labs are required to report both positive and negative COVID-19 test results to help the department of health track and manage the pandemic," the email continued."<h2>My final verdict: Amazon's DxTerity is the winner</h2><div type="image" title="DxTerity's mail-in COVID-19 testing kit." height="1441" width="1922" msid="80615624" hostid="261"></div>After taking both tests, I can confidently say that I prefer Amazon's DxTerity test over Walmart's MyLab Box due to DxTerity's straightforward instructions and result turnaround time. At-home coronavirus tests offer convenience that can't be found by going to a clinic in-person. For starters, the testing kit is mailed to your doorstep, which means you don't have to walk or<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/drive-thru-coronavirus-testing-lines-photos-2020-7"> drive to a nearby testing</a> facility. And if <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bermuda-partnered-costco-for-140-pre-travel-covid-19-tests-2021-1">you're in a rush to get a test</a> but can't book a time slot or can't wait in line, mail-in kits may be your next best option.However, given the price of these two kits, I would rather go to a testing facility than order another mail-in test.

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