Remember when acquiring a COVID-19 test was almost impossible? Now, you can add one to your cart on the world’s largest e-commerce retailer alongside workout gear, home goods and other deals. Amazon just released their own FDA-authorized, at-home COVID-19 test collection kit, which you can order now. Customers should receive results from Amazon’s COVID-19 test lab in just a few days, although the test is not available to ship to all locations. Amazon is bringing their convenience and efficiency to this critical moment in healthcare, and even if this would have been much more useful six months ago, we’re all about it.
“Even as COVID-19 vaccinations continue, widespread access to reliable and affordable COVID-19 testing remains a critical tool in the fight against the spread of the virus,” said Cem Sibay, the Amazon VP leading the company’s COVID-19 testing work, in a recent press release. “The Amazon collection kit offers customers the convenience they’ve come to expect from Amazon.com by providing access to COVID-19 testing whenever and wherever they need it. The test collection kit provides highly accurate and timely results, helping customers feel more confident as they safely return to travel, work, college, and daily life.”
The test costs $39.99 and comes with instructions for taking the test at home, as well as a nasal swab, collection tube with saline, a collection plastic bag, a return box and a prepaid return shipping label. Once Amazon’s testing facility processed the results, customers can view the test results online. We reached out to Amazon’s press team to ask about the test, and we’ll update this post if the company responds.
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Amazon COVID-19 Test Collection Kit
Despite vaccination rates being high in most major cities across the U.S., the new, more contagious Delta variant is causing case levels to level off and even increase in some parts of the country, and is now the dominant virus variant in the country. Studies have shown the current vaccines are effective against this strain, but COVID is far from gone. We’ve entered a new phase of the pandemic where society is reopening and life is starting to feel “normal,” and, in addition, a COVID-19 test may still be necessary from time to time. Whether you’re about to visit relatives or come down with a sickness and want to verify it’s not SARS-CoV-2, a test like this one will be super convenient.
What Type of Test Is It?
Amazon’s COVID-19 test is an at-home PCR test that’s FDA-authorized and is designed to be used by symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. It’s not a rapid test and the results are processed at a state-of-the-art CAP-accredited and CLIA-certified lab. Everything you need to safely conduct the test and receive reliable results comes in the kit, including 1 nasal swab, a collection tube with saline, a plastic bag with an absorbent pad and a return box with a prepaid label on the front.
The test uses what the CDC has described as the “gold standard” for testing throughout the pandemic for COVID-19 tests, real-time RT-Polymerase Chain Reaction or PCR. It’s one of the most accurate ways to detect infection, and now it’s available to you at home!
How Does the Test Work?
You register your kit via AmazonDx.com (where you’ll also receive your results), and then follow the included instructions for gathering your sample. The nasal swab is non-invasive and can be gently self-administered in the comfort of your own home. You put the swab into the saline solution, drop it in the mail and you’ll receive an email or SMS with your results within 24 hours of your test arriving at the lab.
Amazon’s COVID-19 testing infrastructure is made for ensuring your personal health information stays private and secure. The tests are FSA/HSA eligible and are travel compliant, so you can use one before traveling within the US and to certain international locations from the US. The tests are also shelf-stable at room temperature, so you can keep a few on hand in case you need one and use them at any time.