In light of everything going on with COVID-19, and with the rate at which it's spreading, many have left to wonder how safe we truly are with the virus spreading. Symptoms vary between 2-14 days, so someone carrying the virus may very well not even know for that amount of time, making the spread more and more exponential. But, there soon may be a solution to the fears people have about whether or not they have the virus.
Everlywell, an Austin-based home testing company that offers a number of different at-home tests, will soon be offering a a testing kit for the novel coronavirus. This is the first U.S. company to announce any test of the like, and with anxieties over the virus increasing, it couldn't have come at a better time. The CDC allowed certified labs like those at Everlywell test their own kits for the virus, and they now have a green light to allow people to test themselves.
Everlywell offers a range of validated tests for everything from cholesterol levels, to fertility and infectious diseases like STDs. The test can be sent out in two days for $135 or for $30 more you can receive your test overnight. For now, however, you will still need a doctor's prescription for the test, but if the concern for yourself is that high, it may be worth contacting the online physicians at PWNHealth, who ask patients a number of questions to see if they are showing symptoms, to see if you can get it.
The testing kit comes with a swab that is long enough to take samples from the back of the nose and throat area, along with instructions for how to seal the swab sample to send it back to the company. The sample is then sent in overnight and processed at their labs, with results as quick as 72 hours. Perhaps future tests could be much quicker, but for now, it could help those who believe they are high risk to find out if they need to self-quarantine any further.
Props to Everlywell for fighting the good fight! It'll be nice to see more companies come out with similar tests.
Photo: Getty