At-home Covid tests are widely available, and many different types of tests are available as healthcare expert Reeve Benaron states. He explains that the two primary types of at-home Covid tests mentioned above are blood tests and self-sampling tests. As you might expect, blood tests require a sample of your blood to be sent to a lab to be tested. Self-sampling tests aren’t quite as simple.
They need you to take a piece of your saliva or urine and place it in a sample container that is then sent to a lab for testing. While these are the primary types of Covid tests, it’s essential to keep in mind that other types of tests are available, though they are much less common. For example, Reeve Benaron informs, a recent development in the at-home testing field is called the plug-and-play test.
This relatively new test type allows you to plug a sample collection device into your computer and have the sample tested in real time. While this test is convenient, it is expensive and not yet widely available, Reeve Benaron recalls.
Potential Accuracy Issues
Before you even think about testing yourself for the virus, you first need to understand the potential accuracy issues that may arise when testing yourself for the virus. According to Reeve Benaron, testing for Covid-19 is highly accurate, but at-home tests have a potential accuracy issue that lab tests do not have.
Off-the-shelf tests you can buy at the store have a relatively small margin of error. Some tests, such as the EZ-Squeeze test, can reduce the margin of error. These tests are more expensive but are worth the cost if you’re especially concerned about the potential for inaccuracy. When testing for the virus, it’s essential to keep these potential accuracy issues in mind. Reeve Benaron finally explains that lab testing might be a better option if you’re particularly concerned about the potential for inaccuracy.