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Amazon launches at-home Covid-19 test collection kit for customers

22 points by jonbaer 5y ago

jcims 5y ago
Why would anyone use this, wait 2 days round trip and give Amazon their COVID-19 detection status when there are literal at-home *tests* (eg BinaxNOW) that you can buy off the shelf at a local grocery store for half the price and get results in 15-20 minutes? Even the fact that it's PCR vs antigen isn't a motivator, if I test postive with antigen test I'm likely not going to have any issues accessing a PCR test from a local provider.
- subsaharancoder 5y ago
  To travel to some countries now you need a negative PCR COVID-19 certificate for a test conducted within 96 hours prior to travel. I'm hoping the amazon one will suffice.
  - jcims 5y ago
    They don’t need to check an id for that? Maybe Amazon does the ol take a picture with your id thing then hopes you were the one to provide the sample?
    - ykat7 5y ago
      In the UK at least, private test providers [1] must collect travellers' personal details during booking, but a live ID check isn't required. [1]: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/self-declare-as-a-private-sector-covid-19-testing-provider https://www.gov.uk/guidance/self-declare-as-a-private-sector...
  - bas 5y ago
    https://www.pixel.labcorp.com https://www.pixel.labcorp.com
  - ykat7 5y ago
    From the product listing [1]: > Meets requirements for testing when traveling within the US (except Hawaii), and when traveling from the US to many international locations. Includes access to results documentation for verification. [1]: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZR5XNBM/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZR5XNBM/
- kjaftaedi 5y ago
  You're discussing how to handle false positives.. but maybe not everyone has the same tolerance for dealing with false negatives.
nikolay 5y ago
Way too late to the testing game! I've had an at-home saliva PCR thanks to LabCorp Pixel almost one year ago. No to mention the at-home PCR-quality test, which launched this May, delivering results at home within 30 minutes [0]! It's pathetic that you can't buy antibody and antigen tests like I did while I'm in Bulgaria. I paid 10 BGN (around 8 USD) for a EU-certified test kit made in Croatia and 12 BGN (around 7 USD) for a Swiss-made EU-certified test kit. I purchased a bunch, tested my family with antibody kits, and kept using the antigen ones during some possible exposure. Is there a better way to control the spread when people don't wanna get vaccinated? At-home testing is the answer. But the US wants to control the results and this makes testing problematic and expensive. They also have some Chinese EU-certified saliva-based antigen test, which is more convenient than the nasal swab, but I don't trust it as much as the other. The issue with antigen testing is that it can be used at least 5 days after exposure unlike PCR tests, which work after just 2 days. [0]: https://checkit.lucirahealth.com/ https://checkit.lucirahealth.com/

22 points by jonbaer 5y ago

Why would anyone use this, wait 2 days round trip and give Amazon their COVID-19 detection status when there are literal at-home *tests* (eg BinaxNOW) that you can buy off the shelf at a local grocery store for half the price and get results in 15-20 minutes? Even the fact that it's PCR vs antigen isn't a motivator, if I test postive with antigen test I'm likely not going to have any issues accessing a PCR test from a local provider.

subsaharancoder 5y ago
To travel to some countries now you need a negative PCR COVID-19 certificate for a test conducted within 96 hours prior to travel. I'm hoping the amazon one will suffice.
- jcims 5y ago
  They don’t need to check an id for that? Maybe Amazon does the ol take a picture with your id thing then hopes you were the one to provide the sample?
  - ykat7 5y ago
    In the UK at least, private test providers [1] must collect travellers' personal details during booking, but a live ID check isn't required. [1]: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/self-declare-as-a-private-sector-covid-19-testing-provider https://www.gov.uk/guidance/self-declare-as-a-private-sector...
- bas 5y ago
  https://www.pixel.labcorp.com https://www.pixel.labcorp.com
- ykat7 5y ago
  From the product listing [1]: > Meets requirements for testing when traveling within the US (except Hawaii), and when traveling from the US to many international locations. Includes access to results documentation for verification. [1]: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZR5XNBM/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZR5XNBM/
kjaftaedi 5y ago
You're discussing how to handle false positives.. but maybe not everyone has the same tolerance for dealing with false negatives.

nikolay 5y ago

Way too late to the testing game! I've had an at-home saliva PCR thanks to LabCorp Pixel almost one year ago. No to mention the at-home PCR-quality test, which launched this May, delivering results at home within 30 minutes [0]! It's pathetic that you can't buy antibody and antigen tests like I did while I'm in Bulgaria. I paid 10 BGN (around 8 USD) for a EU-certified test kit made in Croatia and 12 BGN (around 7 USD) for a Swiss-made EU-certified test kit. I purchased a bunch, tested my family with antibody kits, and kept using the antigen ones during some possible exposure. Is there a better way to control the spread when people don't wanna get vaccinated? At-home testing is the answer. But the US wants to control the results and this makes testing problematic and expensive. They also have some Chinese EU-certified saliva-based antigen test, which is more convenient than the nasal swab, but I don't trust it as much as the other. The issue with antigen testing is that it can be used at least 5 days after exposure unlike PCR tests, which work after just 2 days. [0]: https://checkit.lucirahealth.com/ https://checkit.lucirahealth.com/