US Company Announces First At-Home Coronavirus Test to Be Available on March 23

As the number of coronavirus cases in the United States continues to rise, home testing company Everlywell has announced that it will have an at-home COVID-19 test available by Monday, March 23. Customers will be able to order the test on Everlywell's website and the company will start with an initial supply of 30,000 tests.

The company notes that its initial number of tests amounts to a significant increase in total COVID-19 tests that have been processed in the U.S. as of March 18, and it plans to have testing and diagnosis capacity for a quarter of a million people weekly. The tests will be available for $135 at no profit to Everlywell; and will be covered by participating HSA and FSA providers. The company shares that it has contacted government officials and public health departments in an effort to have the test made available for free. Customers can order the test after answering a screening questionnaire inquiring about their basic health, symptoms and risk factors for the disease.

The test needs to be prescribed by a doctor, and telemedicine doctors from PWNHealth will review the answers and determine whether a person qualifies for testing based on criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Should the test be prescribed, it will arrive in two days, though customers also have the option to pay $30 for overnight shipping.

The test includes overnight sample delivery and an infectious disease sample collection and shipping materials to safely ship your sample. Private, secure digital results will be provided to all users within days of taking the test and those who test positive will be offered a telehealth consult with an independent board-certified physician from PWNHealth. In addition, positive results will be communicated to all mandated federal and state reporting agencies.

"We're working hard to ramp up weekly capacity to test 250,000 Americans," CEO and founder Julia Cheek told TIME. "Our goal is to continue to refresh capacity but with the global swab shortage we don't have a confirmed timeline for that yet. Ultimately, she says, the testing kits could be designed for a household so everyone in a family could be tested if needed to know what protective measure they might need to take."

Last month, Everlywell launched a $1 million initiative to any certified laboratories who fulfilled requirements set by the FDA and Everlywell to prioritize development of a diagnostic test for COVID-19. "The positive response from the laboratory community enabled Everlywell to build the full testing and diagnosis experience for COVID-19 in a matter of days," the company shared.

Photo Credit: Everlywell