A New, Do-It-Yourself COVID-19 Test Kit is Now For Sale on Amazon
Plenty of Central New Yorkers have been experiencing it themselves over the past few weeks as the pandemic numbers are rising by the minute. Getting a COVID-19 test isn't necessarily the easiest thing to do. Sure, the concept is simple, but there's so much that makes it confusing.
If you're someone who doesn't want to have to go through the stress of a rapid test (and the waiting for your time slot plus the potential inaccuracy that comes along with it) or you simply don't want to go out into public to go to a regular testing site, Amazon is making it easier for you to get a test done while safe at home.
The FDA authorized a testing kit called Dxerity, and it's now available for purchase. The box includes an empty tube for saliva that you will be responsible for sending to a Los Angeles-based lab, with prepaid shipping.
Many are curious about the difference between the nasal swab tests and the saliva tests. The CDC says that the saliva tests are just as accurate as the nasal swab test, which both can determine if you have COVID-19 at the moment you're tested.
According to Amazon, the turnaround time for the test results is anywhere between 24 to 72 hours after the sample is received.
Here's the downside of this: one test kit costs $110. Or, if you're looking for numerous testing kits, you can get a multi-pack of 10 for $1,000. Seems a little steep considering Federal law now requires private insurers, Medicare and Medicaid to cover COVID-19 tests without any cost to the patient.
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