The first at-home saliva coronavirus test has been granted an emergency authorization by the FDA.
Vault Health along with Rutgers Genetic Institute developed and helped distribute the easy and accurate test that can be done from the comfort of your own home.
The test kit cost $150 and can be shipped over night to your home. A practitioner via Telemedicine supervises the process to ensure the test is done properly.
The sample tube is then mailed back to the return address and your results will be emailed to you in 24 to 48 hours.
Vault Health officials said the tests are more accurate than the nasal or mouth swab with a less than two percent margin of error.
Vault Health said these at-home tests will help develop a system of testing and tracking those who are infected with COVID-19, which can be a powerful tool as companies begin to think about bringing employees back to work. Doctors believe testing is the way to stop coronavirus.
"The only way to stop a pandemic is to trace who has this virus, who have they come into contact with and then quarantine them and only them and not have to quarantine everyone like we are currently doing," said Dr. Myles Spar of CMO of Vault Health. "But we need testing to be able to do that."
Consistent testing may be the new normal as we learn to live with the crisis. Jason Feldman, CEO of Vault Health, said various different companies and industry have decided that consistently testing their employees is the best bet to try to contain coronavirus and get employees back to work.
"Being in the office, working, being productive, being on the sports field, whatever it is, every organization, from almost industry has reached out to us and asked, 'How do we get the testing going?'" said Feldman.
Vault Health hopes to keep increasing the number of tests produced each week. The $150 price tag is high but Vault Health said patients can submit the cost to their health insurance for coverage. For more information visit their website.
