An antibody test checks to see if you've had the novel coronavirus in the past, rather than checking for current infection. Amanda Capritto/CNETĪntibody tests are an entirely different class of medical tests. Since then, more studies have repeated and confirmed those findings.Īntibody tests are not the same as at-home coronavirus test kits, like the one above from LetsGetChecked. Yale Public Health researchers published preliminary research in April that showed saliva tests were just as accurate - and sometimes even more accurate - than nasal swab tests.
When it comes to concerns over how the saliva tests perform compared to nasal swabs, the research is promising. Saliva tests are much less invasive, less uncomfortable and pose less risk for health care providers - so why did it take so long to approve them? The FDA needed to make sure the samples could provide the same level of accuracy as nasal swabs. Both tests are now available without telemedical approval. Now, all you have to do is take an assessment that asks about your symptoms.įollowing that authorization from the FDA, two companies, Vault Health and 1Health.io (the parent company of Vitagene), announced plans to sell the saliva tests for at-home use under supervision from a doctor through telemedicine.
This was the first at-home diagnostic test using saliva samples, and it originally could only be obtained with a prescription from a doctor. It wasn't until May 8 that the FDA authorized Rutgers Clinical Genomics Laboratory to actually start testing samples of saliva collected at home for the coronavirus, using collection kits from Spectrum Solutions. On April 13, the FDA granted Rutgers University's RUCDR Infinite Biologics biorepository emergency authorization for a new method it developed to test saliva samples for the coronavirus.
These tests are't invasive and can easily be done at home, which helps protect health care professionals from being exposed to the coronavirus at testing sites, and reduces the demand for personal protective equipment. Much like taking a DNA test, saliva tests have you spit into a tube, seal it and send to a lab. The Spectrum Solutions saliva collection device used for at-home saliva tests. Once people are aware that they are infected, they can take the proper measures to avoid others to prevent exposure. More than half a year into the pandemic, testing remains a crucial element of slowing the spread, because it identifies people who are carrying the virus, both those who are ill and those who aren't exhibiting any symptoms. These tests - of which there are now eight authorized for use - eliminate the need for someone who is feeling sick to go to a testing site or clinic, which in turn means that fewer people are exposed to the virus. The US isn't struggling as much now with a shortage of coronavirus test kits and related supplies, thanks partly to the advent of at-home testing. You needed a doctor's orders to get tested, and to get those orders, you had to meet specific criteria, such as having a fever and showing other COVID-19 symptoms. For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO and CDC websites.ĭuring the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19 tests were in extremely short supply.
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