The Orange County Health Agency has begun offering free home testing kits to all AAC residents, expanding the convenient option.
One of the kits is a saliva-based test from Ambry Genetics that first became available in Santa Ana and Anaheim last month.
The second is a nasal swab by Picture Genetics.
Other types of home testing are also hitting the market, such as a BioSpyder molecular test, the more proactive approach for those who are asymptomatic. This “surveillance test” lets a group of people know if at least one test is positive.
Once you order a test from the BioSpyder website, you will receive a box containing four or more tubes, each intended for one person.
After gargling with the included mouthwash, spit it back into the tube and ship the box back. Results can be expected within 24-48 hours.
Surveillance testing is not regulated by the FDA as it focuses on a group outcome, not individual testing.
BioSpyder CEO Joel McComb says this option can work with companies that want to target specific teams or departments.
“If someone comes in who is asymptomatic, it can have devastating consequences for other people who are going to develop symptoms,” McComb said.
McComb also warned that these surveillance tests are no way to get out of the security precautions.
“This doesn’t relieve you of state and federal guidelines,” he said.
There is also a home test made by Abbott Laboratories that gives results in just 15 minutes. This test comes with a virtual guide.
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