CLEVELAND, Ohio – At-home COVID-19 tests are readily available with or without a prescription, and manufacturers claim they allow users to find out if they have the virus in as little as 10 minutes. But how accurate are they? And who should test at home rather than visit a pharmacy?

There are two types of COVID-19 tests: molecular tests that check for the virus’ genetic material, or RNA; and the antigen test, which detects the virus protein. Most of the at-home tests available online and at pharmacies are antigen tests.

“We want people to be cautious because antigen tests won’t detect low virus loads, which can be seen in people who are asymptomatic carriers of the disease,” said Dr. Christine Schmotzer of University Hospitals.

For that reason, Schmotzer does not recommend at-home tests for anyone working in healthcare or clearing themselves for contact with immunocompromised individuals. She believes the at-home tests can be a convenient option for people who are symptomatic and need a quick test, especially if someone in their household has already tested positive. Each person must weigh why they are getting tested and the consequences of getting a false negative result.

Lorain County Health Commissioner David Covell said that schools in the county keep these tests on hand to help in situations where students have symptoms.

“They may use them in cases where kids are symptomatic, stay home because they’re sick and want to make sure they don’t have COVID-19,” Covell said. “But asymptomatic testing, where you’re just testing to see if you have it, is a really bad idea. They’re really only good to use when there are symptoms or a known exposure.”

Covell added that a positive result should prompt a follow-up appointment with a doctor for confirmation.

Since antigen tests need more viral load to work and carry a higher risk of a false negative, that makes it all the more important to conduct the at-home test properly to ensure an accurate result. Schmotzer said there are three key things to keep in mind to make sure your at-home test is as valuable as possible: get a good sample, follow instructions and pick the proper time.

“The biggest human error is getting a good sample,” Schmotzer said. “The best indicator of being able to detect the virus is getting a really good swab. It needs to be uncomfortable to make sure you’re really getting deep in your nose where the virus lives.”

The test might remind many of an at-home pregnancy test. And just as with that screening device, it’s important to carefully follow the instructions included in the COVID-19 test kit. Even slight mistakes can make the sample unreadable.

“You really want to follow that to the letter to get the best chance of getting an accurate result,” Schmotzer said.

Timing also plays a vital role in the test’s ability to detect the virus. You should test 3 to 7 days after a COVID exposure or within the first few days after symptom onset for best accuracy.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization to nine diagnostic COVID-19 tests that can be performed at home. Listed on its website is a chart that shows which of the tests are authorized for use at home, what type of test it is and full instructions on how to collect and process a sample.

Of the nine FDA authorized COVID-19 tests, three are BinaxNOW COVID-19 rapid antigen tests, available as the over-the-counter, prescription and proctor-supervised, which provide results in 15 minutes. The nasal-swab test costs around $20 for a pack of two, depending on the retailer.

The Ellume rapid test was the first at-home test to be granted EUA approval by the FDA. Widely available, this 15-minute nasal swab test can be found online and in stores for about $35 for a single test.

Both the prescription and over-the-counter versions of the 30-minute InteliSwab rapid tests and 10-minute QuickVue at-home COVID-19 tests have received authorization as well. We were unable to locate InteliSwab tests online, but QuickVue tests, which are offered in 2-packs, can be found online and in stores for $24.

Finally, the CareStart antigen home test, which gives results in 10 minutes, comes in packs of 2, 4 and 20. However, none of these were available online as of Aug. 9.

At-home antigen tests won’t necessarily be proof that you don’t have COVID-19. For example, the Canadian government will not accept an antigen test in order to enter the country. However, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention will accept at-home test results for international travel as long as it meets certain criteria. For example, the testing procedure must be supervised by a telehealth service affiliated with the manufacturer.

“Some of the over the counter kits come with a virtual health visit, where somebody talks them through the collection and observes the process, and that’s the only way they can complete and report the results,” Schmotzer said.

These proctors also help ensure that nobody intentionally falsifies results by adding an incorrect sample to the kit. Schmotzer said the tests detect whether a sample is present, but for the most part, they can’t differentiate between cells from a human nose and other cells from the body or another animal.

“Sometimes if you use the wrong fluid, some of the tests will not work and they’ll give you an inconclusive or no result,” Schmotzer said. “The test manufacturers do try to build in some safeguards, but they can’t account for every scenario.”

The CDC encourages those who need to be tested for COVID-19, but can’t access a healthcare provider, to consider using an at-home test. The CDC also reminds the public to report their test results to either a healthcare provider or local or state health department.

Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.

Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 5/1/2021).

© 2022 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local.

Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site.