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<ul><li>A new COVID-19 testing is being developed to help people easily get results and without spending too much.</li><li>The smaRT-LAMP testing system uses basic lab equipment and a smartphone app.</li><li>It’s said to produce accurate results and even detect new COVID variants.</li></ul>Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara have developed a new<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/harmony-covid-19-test-claims-to-deliver-results-in-less-than-20-minutes-and-with-97-accuracy/articleshow/89107312.cms"> COVID-19 testing system</a> that uses basic lab equipment and a smartphone app, and it is claimed to give results as accurate as of the standard PCR test. This COVID testing system is called “smaRT-LAMP” and it could be as cheap as $7. The COVID testing requires a smartphone, an app called “Bacticount” and a test kit, according to a <a href="https://gizmodo.com/researchers-develop-cheap-covid-test-for-smartphones-1848443324">report</a> by Gizmodo. It requires a person’s saliva that is placed on the test kit and a reactive solution is added to it so that it can detect any viral RNA that could be present in the saliva sample. The sample is then covered with a cardboard box that has an LED light on top. The smartphone’s camera is then pointed at the LED lights and according to the colour reactions, it will be revealed if the sample being tested is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/covid-19-india-reports-over-200000-new-cases-and-959-fatalities-in-last-24-hours/articleshow/89236700.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">COVID-19 </a>positive or not. If it’s a bright red light then the result is positive. One drawback of this COVID-19 test is that the Baticount app is currently compatible only with the Samsung Galaxy S9 series which is already four years old. Further development could add support for more smartphones otherwise the testing method won’t be convenient at all. The research is still very early though and it was conducted with samples of 50 people. The team is however confident that the results are promising, and smaRT-LAMP could help identify new COVID variants or even the flu. The COVID-19 testing kit is aimed at helping rural hospitals or places where there isn’t a proper testing system. It is also expected to be available as home testing kits. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/covid-19-india-reports-over-200000-new-cases-and-959-fatalities-in-last-24-hours/articleshow/89236700.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">COVID-19: India reports over 2,00,000 new cases and 959 fatalities in last 24 hours</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/spotify-ceo-daniel-ek-announces-content-advisory-for-podcast-episodes-discussing-covid-19/articleshow/89233355.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Spotify CEO Daniel Ek announces content advisory for podcast episodes discussing COVID-19</a>

Researchers develop a new smartphone-based COVID-19 testing kit that is said to match PCR test accuracy

<ul><li>A new cheap and fast COVID-19 test is being developed by researchers at the University of Washington.</li><li>Called ‘Harmony’ this test combines the accuracy and speed of the current PCR tests.</li><li>The team behind Harmony plans to make this COVID-19 test easily accessible globally and at an affordable price.</li></ul>Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a fast and cheap<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/around-50-of-covid-19-infected-may-have-lasting-loss-of-smell-says-study/articleshow/89088784.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink"> COVID-19</a> test that can provide results in less than 20 minutes. The ‘Harmony’ test combines the speed of the Rapid Antigen test and the accuracy of the RT-PCR test that are currently used to detect if a person has COVID-19 or not. This new test works like the current ones wherein it detects genetic material from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. But it assures not only speed but accuracy as well. The team behind the Harmony test is led by Barry Lutz, a <a href="https://www.washington.edu/news/2022/01/24/harmony-covid19/" data-type="tilCustomLink">UW</a> associate professor of bioengineering and investigator with the Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Here’s how it works" comment="subhead" text="Here’s how it works">Here’s how it works</cmsannotation> The Harmony COVID-19 test has been designed to be simple and easy-to-use. Similar to the PCR methods, you take a nasal swab sample with a small, and low-cost detector. The results will then appear on a smartphone which is used to operate the detector. This detector can be used to test up to four samples at a time. This test detects three regions of the virus’ genome, and it’s even claimed to detect two mutations of the virus. The Harmony kit is also said to have 97 per cent accuracy for nasal swabs. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How it’s different from current tests" comment="subhead" text="How it’s different from current tests">How it’s different from current tests</cmsannotation> According to Lutz, this test uses a PCR-like method known as RT-LAMP that lets the test operate at a constant temperature without the need to heat and cool. The current PCR method goes through cycles of heating and cooling to detect the virus’ genetic material which takes some time. But the Harmony test saves time and delivers results faster while using a similar method. Lutz along with two colleagues from the UW founded a new company called Anavasi Diagnostics to develop the Harmony COVID-19 tests. The company received funding of $300,000 from WE-REACH which is the Center for Washington Entrepreneurial Research Evaluation &amp; Commercialization Hub. It also received $14.9 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health for large scale manufacturing of the test. The Harmony COVID-19 test will be available in clinics first along with workplaces and schools. Lutz also plans to later make the test available for home use, and accessible globally at an affordable price. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/scientists-are-closely-watching-an-omicron-subtype-spreading-in-denmark-the-uk-singapore-and-india/articleshow/89099005.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Scientists are closely watching an Omicron subtype spreading in Denmark, the UK, Singapore and India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/heres-how-long-people-with-covid-19-may-remain-contagious-according-to-the-best-available-data/articleshow/89057908.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Here's how long people with COVID-19 may remain contagious, according to the best available data</a>

Researchers have developed a cheaper COVID-19 test that claims to deliver results in less than 20 minutes

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Dogs could be our best friends when it comes to flagging COVID-19 infections.</li><li>New research finds they can diagnose COVID quickly, even at levels too low for tests. </li></ul>If you're tired of sticking swabs up your nose to test for <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.insider.com/august-flu-vs-covid-infection-rate-2023-8">COVID-19</a>, rest assured that a much friendlier (and furrier) option may be on the horizon.New research suggests COVID-sniffing dogs are as effective or even better at detecting infections compared to currently-available tests in at-home kits and clinics — so much so they could replace <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-test-rapid-antigen-test-lateral-flow-pcr-explained-2021-1">PCR tests as the "gold standard" for diagnosis</a>, according to researchers from the University of California Santa Barbara.Scientists already know that dogs can probably <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323620">sniff out various types of cancer</a> — colon, prostate, breast skin — and may be able to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.insider.com/guides/pets/can-dogs-sense-pregnancy">sense pregnancy</a>. At first, there was little research on whether they could detect COVID, too, but a new research review has found a large body of evidence suggesting how helpful dogs can be in diagnosing the infectious illness. The authors of the new review, published last month in the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/jom-2023-0104/html">Journal of Osteopathic Medicine</a>, looked at 29 studies — including more than 30,000 samples across 31 countries. They said they found extensive evidence that trained dogs can accurately identify positive cases of COVID-19 through smell, which could be a less-invasive and more environmentally-friendly testing strategy than relying on plastic kits and disposable swabs. In some cases, dogs were able to identify COVID-19 infections in patients who had a viral load too low for other tests to work, the review found.The specially-trained canines could also diagnose quicker than other testing methods, after just a quick sniff of a person, and could also flag the virus in sweat samples in a process that takes only minutes. Dogs have incredibly sensitive noses that make them uniquely suited to sniffing out disease, according to Tommy Dickey, co-author of the paper, professor emeritus at UC Santa Barbara, and a certified <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/mental-health/emotional-support-animal">therapy dog</a> handler."They can detect the equivalent of one drop of an odorous substance in 10.5 Olympic-sized swimming pools," Dickey said in a press release. "For perspective, this is about three orders of magnitude better than with scientific instrumentation."And when it comes to snooting out COVID, all dogs are good dogs, according to the review. While scent dogs like hounds would be ideal, studies found that weeks of training could turn dogs of different ages, breeds, and backgrounds into virus-detecting pros. Diagnostics could even be a career option for rehabilitating troubled pups, as one study found a so-called "problem" pit bull from an abusive home got a fresh start as a COVID detector. Still, there are some logistical challenges to training and deploying the dogs on a large scale before we can toss out our test kits in favor of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/mental-health/benefits-of-having-a-dog">four-legged friends</a>, according to the researchers."There's quite a bit of research, but it's still considered by many as a kind of a curiosity," Dickey said.

Dogs can smell COVID-19 — and may be better at diagnosing it than a COVID test

<ul class="summary-list"><li>If you're feeling sick, it can be frustrating to see a negative COVID test result.</li><li>Some people say they only get an accurate COVID test result if they swab their feces.</li></ul>If you have COVID, there are plenty of reasons a standard <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/false-negative-reasons-rapid-covid-test-may-show-bad-result-2021-12">nose swab test</a> may not turn positive.Maybe you tested too early. Maybe your viral load is so low it isn't detectable. Maybe you have some other <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sick-dont-have-covid-flu-rsv-what-it-is-2022-12">wintry viral illness</a>. Or, maybe you just didn't get the testing procedure quite right.But some people who test negative for COVID aren't taking no for an answer.Recently, some social media users feeling sick and testing negative on nose and throat tests say they're turning their swabs on their other end. By testing their own stool, they're finally getting <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/nursekelsey/status/1752885774385549745?s=20">positive COVID results, right out of the toilet</a>.<h2>Yes, there is COVID in your stool</h2><div type="image" title="Hand with pink glove holding toilet scrub near toilet bowl." height="3470" width="5200" msid="107384424" hostid="261" sizebytes="205690"></div>It's true that COVID, like many illnesses, can be <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-experts-poop-data-shows-omicron-peaking-in-the-us-2022-1">tracked through our poo</a>, but experts agree it's a bad practice to use home test kits that way."While we use stool on a population level, the individual-level implications are unclear," public health expert Katelyn Jetelina, who runs the popular <a target="_blank" href="https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/">"Your Local Epidemiologist"</a> newsletter, told Business Insider.First, COVID can linger in your poop long after you've recovered. One <a target="_blank" href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2792688">2022 study</a> suggested that about 13% of people who'd had COVID were still shedding the virus in their stool four months later, long past when their nose and throat swabs turned negative.In other words, it's entirely possible to test positive for COVID via a poop sample even if you're COVID-negative. You may actually have some <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tell-which-virus-you-have-flu-covid-rsv-symptoms-2022-12">other active viral illness</a>, and are simply still shedding a little COVID in your poop from a coronavirus infection you had many moons ago.It is also possible to have a very mild COVID infection, so mild as to be undetectable on a rapid test. This may be more likely if you've built up immunity through a recent COVID infection or vaccine. While this probably means you are less infectious to others, it's not an iron-clad guarantee you won't transmit your illness to someone else who's vulnerable.<h2>COVID tests are still not very precise</h2>"This rumor is an underlying signal that people want and need better tools," Jetelina said.Reliable, affordable, and precise tools that can tell us exactly what kind of infection we have, whether it's COVID, the flu, RSV, or something else, are still a dream.But the bottom line still remains: if you feel sick, you probably are. Basic, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-avoid-the-flu-2018-2">old-school precautions</a> like good handwashing, isolation (when possible), masking up if you have to be in close quarters with others, and allowing your body some time to rest and recover are all still helpful behaviors that can reduce the impact of a viral illness on yourself, and on others.

Some people say COVID tests are more accurate if you swab your poop instead of your nose. Here's what's going on.

<ul><li>Genes2Me has developed a <keyword id="14558146" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RTPCR-testing-kit" source="Orion">RTPCR testing kit</keyword> to detect <keyword id="7616951" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="monkeypox" source="Orion">Monkeypox</keyword> virus.</li><li>The test kit can provide the results in just 50 minutes.</li><li>It is one of the first Indian companies to roll out this product and it is available for research-use only and based on Gold standard Taqman chemistry based RT PCR method.</li></ul>Gurugram-based <keyword id="14558147" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="In-Vetro-Diagnostics" source="Orion">In Vetro Diagnostics</keyword> (IVD) manufacturers announced that they have developed a RTPCR testing kit to detect Monkeypox virus which can provide results in just 50 minutes. This kit is available in both the standard version for any commonly available RT PCR instruments as well as Point-of-Care (PoC) format. The PoC solution can be used for screening at multiple sites including hospitals, airports, diagnostic labs and health camps. “Scientists from Genes2Me have been able to develop POX-Q Multiplexed RT-PCR kit for the detection of Monkeypox virus along with differentiation from Varicella Zoster Virus (Chicken Pox) in a single tube multiplex reaction format,” says the company in a statement. It is one of the first Indian companies to roll out this product and it is available for research-use only and based on Gold standard Taqman chemistry based RT PCR method. “This unprecedented time underscores the importance of diagnostic assays in health security preparedness and readiness. We wanted to be prepared ahead of time for this virus,” said Neeraj Gupta, CEO and founder of Genes2Me. For detection of the Monkeypox virus, both dry swabs and swabs placed in VTM can be used.The company also claims to be the first ones to introduce RT-Direct as first made-in-India COVID-19 extraction free RT-PCR Kit. He added, “ We have the capacity to manufacture 5 million test kits in a week. However, it can be scaled up to 2 million tests in a day with the added demand.” In the backdrop, the makers of TrueNat real-time polymerase chain reaction, which is the only PoC platform used by the <keyword id="43588" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="world-health-organization" source="Orion">World Health Organization</keyword> (WHO) to detect tuberculosis, is also developing the test kit for monkeypox, indicated government sources. Trivitron Healthcare, a Chennai-based medical devices company, also developed a real-time RT-PCR-based kit for the detection of the monkeypox virus. The company says that its test kit can differentiate between smallpox and monkeypox in a one-tube single reaction format. Last week, the WHO declared Monkeypox as a ‘public health emergency of international concern’. Globally, more than 16,000 cases of the Monkeypox virus have been reported over the last seven months in around 68 countries, out of which five people succumbed to the virus. India has reported over four cases so far, three have been detected in Kerala and one in the national capital. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/as-zomato-shares-crash-for-the-second-day-jefferies-plans-to-buy-stock-for-long-term-investors/articleshow/93128894.cms">As Zomato shares crash for the second day, Jefferies plans to buy stock for long-term investors</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/over-14-million-children-in-the-us-test-positive-for-covid-19/articleshow/93126905.cms">Over 14 million children in the US test positive for Covid-19</a>

Indian company rolls out RT PCR test kit for Monkeypox

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Forget friendship bracelets — some Swifties are calling Covid-19 their new concert souvenirs.</li><li>Some fans who got COVID-10 after attending her Eras Tour are calling it a "gift" from "Mother."</li></ul>It's been years since the pandemic times of COVID-19 lockdowns and the era of mandated masking. But while the virus is still circulating, some Swifties have become wildly optimistic about what it means to catch an infection at one of their idol's concerts. So much so that some Swifties on social media are playfully dubbing the COVID-19 infection they think they got from her concerts a "souvenir" and a "gift" from "Mother."A post on X from a Spanish Taylor Swift fan account asked followers: "Did you go to <a target="_blank" class="css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-1loqt21" href="https://x.com/hashtag/MadridTStheErasTour?src=hashtag_click">#MadridTStheErasTour</a> and take COVID, a virus, or a cold with you as a souvenir? I open a survey."Of the nearly 10,800 votes, 35% voted yes. People in the poll's comments section described their symptoms and showed their positive COVID-19 tests — but also raved about how they thought it was worth it. The poll has been viewed nearly 144,000 times at press time.One X user <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/RaquellvsRhett/status/1797947023641247766">commented</a>: "Going to Taylor's concert has meant losing my voice, losing my mental health and, well, my health in general, I'm more dead than alive (but I would go to the concert a thousand more times)."Earlier in February, an Australian concertgoer posted a TikTok of herself dressed up in her concert outfit and glam makeup. The video then cut straight to her holding up a positive COVID-19 test kit in bed. She captioned the post: "The Eras Tour souvenir no ones talking about. if youre heading to the sydney shows this weekend, wash your hands regularly!"However, other X users have voiced their disbelief at Swifties calling the virus a souvenir.One X user <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/pot8um/status/1799513266265166174?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1799513266265166174%7Ctwgr%5E823e04af52763fad2f3a84db8d34b05f9516778a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmuse.insider.com%2Fstory%2F666a622b074e87bb00f6cf0e">wrote:</a> "Taylor Swift's concert attendees are calling their Covid infections 'souvenirs' and 'gifts' from 'Mother,' and I'm supposed to NOT wanna launch myself into the sun???"Concerts have gained notoriety as COVID-19 superspreader events. In 2021, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsweek.com/over-2200-people-catch-covid-after-spain-music-festivals-catalonia-1616207">over 2,200 people caught the virus</a> after going to music festivals in northeast Spain.And while the virus is treated more like the common flu now, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/august-flu-vs-covid-infection-rate-2023-8">COVID-19 is still circulating</a> — and people are getting infected across the US.Virus-spreading or not, Swift's Eras Tour has been widely successful, propelling the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tortured-poets-department-taylor-swift-new-album-earnings-eras-tour-2024-4">singer-songwriter to billionaire status</a>. Swift is now in the UK for her next leg of the tour. Swift's representative didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

The COVID-19 infection you caught at a Taylor Swift concert is not a gift from 'Mother'

<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.

Biden to provide 500 million free at-home COVID test kits for Americans amid the Omicron surge

<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 tests can be ordered via the <keyword id="2675287" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Doordash">DoorDash</keyword> app in 12 cities including Baltimore and Chicago.</li><li>DoorDash will deliver <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> test kits to more cities in the "coming months," the company said.</li><li>The kits can provide results in as little as 24-hours, DoorDash said.</li></ul>DoorDash is offering same-day <keyword id="6355447" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="delivery">delivery</keyword> of COVID-19 at-home test kits in some US cities.DoorDash will deliver the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing kits through its app in 12 cities including Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Minneapolis, Phoenix, and Dallas. The delivery service company plans to roll out the service in more cities in the "coming months," <a href="https://ir.doordash.com/news/news-details/2021/DoorDash-Launches-On-Demand-Delivery-of-COVID-19-PCR-Test-Collection-Kits-Through-Partnerships-with-Vault-Health-and-Everlywell/default.aspx">the company said</a> on Monday.DoorDash didn't respond to Insider's request for additional details. The company will be delivering the Everlywell nasal swab test kit that sells for $109 and the Vault <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health">Health</keyword> saliva test kit for $119. Both can have a 24-hour turnaround for results."COVID-19 testing will continue to play a critical role as businesses and schools begin to re-open across the US," the company said in a statement. "Tests that can be taken at home and mailed to a lab offer even more convenience to customers as they eliminate the need to make a trip to a testing facility, or wait in long lines at the pharmacy or grocery store," the statement said. DoorDash has taken other steps to help mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The delivery service operator <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/doordash-offers-restaurants-discounted-rapid-covid-19-test-kits-cellex-2021-2">also provides independent restaurants</a> using its platform access to discounted rapid COVID-19 tests. Restaurants with three or fewer locations could pay $100 for 25 rapid tests by Cellex with results delivered within 15-20 minutes.In December, <keyword id="10988599" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gopuff">goPuff</keyword> became the first company to instantly deliver COVID-19 PCR tests. A platform that offers everyday essentials, <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201221005493/en/goPuff-Launches-Partnership-with-Purlab-Becoming-the-First-Company-to-Offer-Instant-Delivery-of-COVID-19-Test-Kits">goPuff said that it partnered with Purlab</a> to deliver COVID-19 PCR test kits at a cost of $129 each.

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

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