kwillia
n/a
Do at-home COVID tests actually work?
Yes and no. Dr. Blaivas tells explains that the at-home tests that are currently available are designed to be simpler to use than big laboratory tests and therefore often use different methods to identify evidence of infection. “These compromises in test design usually result in tests that are less accurate than the typical PCR or other molecular test that you might receive in a medical setting,” he says. “While you could say that the currently available at-home tests ‘work,’ they have limitations.” For example, he notes that you might end up having to verify a positive at-home test with a PCR laboratory test just to make sure the result you got at home is correct.
Yes and no. Dr. Blaivas tells explains that the at-home tests that are currently available are designed to be simpler to use than big laboratory tests and therefore often use different methods to identify evidence of infection. “These compromises in test design usually result in tests that are less accurate than the typical PCR or other molecular test that you might receive in a medical setting,” he says. “While you could say that the currently available at-home tests ‘work,’ they have limitations.” For example, he notes that you might end up having to verify a positive at-home test with a PCR laboratory test just to make sure the result you got at home is correct.