ARKANSAS, USA — You may have started noticing at-home COVID-19 tests in your retail pharmacies. These tests are becoming more popular because they are affordable and easy to use.
“There is less than a minute of hands-on time to use our device and we believe the simplicity will lead to better confidence in the results,” Stephen Tang said.
InteliSwab is one of several rapid COID-19 tests you can purchase in retail pharmacies and test yourself for the virus from the comfort of your home. Stephen Tang is president and chief executive officer of OraSure Technologies that developed this test. He believes it’s the simplest and easiest to use test on the market.
“It looks like this. All you do is swab your nostrils 15 times on each side, place it in the developing solution, swirl it for 10 times and then wait 30 minutes and get your results,” he said.
InteliSwab has been on the market since June after receiving emergency use authorization from the FDA. Tang says there has been an enormous demand for their tests largely due to the delta variant. Now it’s cold and flu season with the holidays quickly approaching.
“We think we have our suppliers locked up and our outbound logistics seems to be fine, but supply-chain is an issue that confounding of people these days, both businesses and consumers and so we are keeping a close eye on that,” he said.
Governor Asa Hutchinson thinks at-home covid testing is a trend that will continue especially as more become available, less expensive and people get used to them.
“I just think that’s the pattern for the future, but we will be able to measure if someone has a positive on that or they get ill and go to the hospital. Those are firm measurements and so regardless of the testing level, you can measure those,” he said,
InteliSwab’s emergency use authorization was modified Tuesday (Nov. 2) to provide to modes of use. For someone with no symptoms, they suggest you take the second test 24 to 36 hours after the first. And for people with symptoms, they will only need to take one test.