# Home Covid tests and infection rates **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [December 7, 2021, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648 "2021-12-07T15:31:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2021, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648/1 "2021-12-07T15:31:06Z")
Has there been any studies as to how home testing kits affect infection rates and total numbers? My girlfriend is currently sick and her only confirmation is a home test. At this point her doctor has only done a telemedicine visit. There is a good chance she will never have an “official” test. Is there any research showing how people like her affect the actual rate of infection compared to the reported rate of infection? Will her doctor report her as a positive test despite not personally seeing her results? ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2021, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648/2 "2021-12-07T15:33:20Z")
When you say ‘home test’ do you mean a lateral flow, rather than a PCR? When you take a test, is there any government or local government mechanism for reporting the test results (we do it on the NHS Covid app)? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2021, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648/3 "2021-12-07T15:39:46Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > When you say ‘home test’ do you mean a lateral flow, rather than a PCR? When you take a test, is there any government or local government mechanism for reporting the test results (we do it on the NHS Covid app)? There is nothing set up to self report. > **[At Home COVID-19 Test Kit – CVS Pharmacy](https://www.cvs.com/shop/home-health-care/home-tests/at-home-covid-19-tests)** > > Buy at-home COVID tests from trusted brands at CVS. Find rapid antigen test & at home PCR test kits for convenient and quick testing from the comfort of your home. FSA eligible. I’m not sure of the differences. I’ve used the Binax and QuickVue. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2021, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648/4 "2021-12-07T15:42:59Z")
Sadly that link is blocked to people outside the USA. How are test results currently collected then? Do you have to go to a specific test site? Will your doctor report the test? It does sound like infection rates must be much higher than the official reports if people can’t easily report them. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2021, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648/5 "2021-12-07T15:51:07Z")
There are many places to get the tests done for free which are hooked into whatever the reporting process is. Home kits are also available if you wish to pay for the convenience. Since I have a very compromised elderly mother I found it was convenient to have a couple on hand for when I needed it rather than have to schedule when I wanted to visit my mother. I have also tested on site several times. ETA all of the major pharmacy chains around here have testing as well as medical facilities and doctor’s offices. Very few are on a walk in basis. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2021, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648/6 "2021-12-07T15:55:57Z")
So I guess your answer is to go to a testing site. If it’s anything like here, we use home lateral flow tests as a precaution if we are asymptomatic (and I suspect that’s what you have at home as the tests are fairly instant), but if we think we have symptoms we are supposed to also get a pcr test (either at a testing centre or ordering a free home test) - difference is you have to send off for the results, and they are automatically reported to the authorities. Reporting lateral flow relies on the testee. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2021, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648/7 "2021-12-07T15:56:45Z")
Or ask your doctor to report it. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2021, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648/8 "2021-12-07T16:08:25Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > So I guess your answer is to go to a testing site. If it’s anything like here, we use home lateral flow tests as a precaution if we are asymptomatic (and I suspect that’s what you have at home as the tests are fairly instant), but if we think we have symptoms we are supposed to also get a pcr test (either at a testing centre or ordering a free home test) - difference is you have to send off for the results, and they are automatically reported to the authorities. Reporting lateral flow relies on the testee. That wasn’t the question. Whether one case is reported or not is meaningless. I was asking if anyone is looking into if the availability of home tests is affecting accurate reporting. Obviously this is specifically for the US since I’m assuming the reporting mechanisms are different in every country. As for if my girlfriend will get additional testing that’s between her and her doctor. She has symptoms, she was in very close contact with a confirmed case and she has a positive home test. At this time her doctor doesn’t see the need for her to come into the office. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2021, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648/9 "2021-12-07T16:22:01Z")
> **[Growing use of home Covid-19 tests leaves health agencies in the dark about...](https://www.statnews.com/2021/12/07/growing-use-of-home-covid19-tests-leaves-health-agencies-in-the-dark/)** > > With home tests becoming widely used, health agencies are increasingly relying on incomplete data and educated guesses to capture ups and downs in the Covid infection rate and to guide decision-making. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2021, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648/10 "2021-12-07T16:28:10Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > [Growing use of home Covid-19 tests leaves health agencies in the dark about unreported cases](https://www.statnews.com/2021/12/07/growing-use-of-home-covid19-tests-leaves-health-agencies-in-the-dark/) Thank you that’s what I was looking for and it confirms what I was thinking. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648/11 "2021-12-18T16:07:54Z")
I’d like to revive this discussion of home tests. I haven’t bought any yet, but I’m thinking maybe I should. I’ve only been tested once a couple of months ago, at a CVS pharmacy. For those of you who have bought/used home tests, where have you gotten yours, how much did you pay, do you keep some on hand, etc. Are there different types-- instant results and some where you ship your spit off to a lab and get results by email? I know I can google this (and I will) but I’d like to hear people’s personal experiences. Thx. ---
**Author:** ![TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thegunismightierthanthepen/32/2981_2.png) [@TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheGunIsMightierThanThePen)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648/12 "2021-12-18T17:52:21Z")
I’ve used the [QuickVue home test](https://quickvueathome.com) recently, and that was the only COVID test I’ve taken up until now. I didn’t buy it (the host of the place I was staying at bought some and insisted I take one), but looking on Amazon, you can get it in a [pack of 45](https://www.amazon.com/Quidel-QuickVue-at-Home-COVID-19-Self-Collected/dp/B093NBTF75) for an average of $23.99 per test. The instructions were fairly straightforward and simple to follow - I just used the provided swab to swab the upper parts of both of my nostrils several times each, then swirled it in the tube of chemical solution they provided, squeezed out as much liquid from the swab as I could, and then put the testing strip in the liquid and waited 10 minutes before taking the strip out. A single blue line on the testing strip indicates a negative result, while the presence of both a blue line and a pink line indicates a positive result. Fortunately I tested negative, which seemed to correlate well with my lack of symptoms that weekend, but the instructions do warn that this being an antigen test (testing for proteins produced by the virus, instead of for the RNA from the virus), the probability of a false negative is higher than that of a PCR test. If accuracy and not time is your most important concern, I would suggest going for a PCR test instead of a home test. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648/13 "2021-12-18T18:14:35Z")
I don’t see myself buying a pack of 45 tests at a cost of $1,000+. 😯 > [@TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](#): > > …going for a PCR test… That would be the one they do at the drugstore? ---
**Author:** ![TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thegunismightierthanthepen/32/2981_2.png) [@TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheGunIsMightierThanThePen)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648/14 "2021-12-18T18:21:49Z")
Pretty sure any of the major retailers (Walmart, Amazon, Walgreens, CVS, _etc._) sell them in single boxes, but those are likely to be out of stock or not shelved at your local store. > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > That would be the one they do at the drugstore? You can get a PCR test from a lot of places - practically any major health care provider, CVS, pop-up clinics. Just search for “COVID PCR tests near me”. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648/15 "2021-12-18T19:01:30Z")
Every student at my son’s middle school was issued a take-home COVID test yesterday, the last day before winter break. With instruction that they are to take it the day before school restarts in January. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648/16 "2021-12-18T19:21:58Z")
> [@TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](#): > > Pretty sure any of the major retailers (Walmart, Amazon, Walgreens, CVS, _etc._ ) sell them in single boxes Amazon have two-packs for around $20. They were easily available a week ago with 2-3 day delivery, still available today but with delivery time showing as a couple of weeks. > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > That would be the one they do at the drugstore? Both PCR and lateral flow (antigen) tests are widely available at drugstores. PCR results tend to take 1-3 days, but they will give you the result of the lateral flow test either while you wait or within a couple of hours. It’s free, you usually stay in the car and crack the window and the swab kit is passed in to you. They will supervise you swabbing and are less likely to make a mistake with the processing protocol. This is really a better way to do it if you have easy access to testing locations with appointments. The main reason to get a home kit is if you want the peace of mind to know you can test immediately any time you want if the test centers get busy, or if you can’t easily get to a testing location, or of course for a scenario where you have significant symptoms. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648/17 "2021-12-18T19:25:45Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > you usually stay in the car and crack the window and the swab kit is passed in to you Yeah, that’s the kind I had done at CVS > [@Riemann](#): > > The main reason to get a home kit is if you want the peace of mind to know you can test immediately any time you want That is my current thinking. I’ll check amazon (where I check for everything else…). > [@Riemann](#): > > Amazon have two-packs for around $20. They were easily available a week ago with 2-3 day delivery, still available today but with delivery time showing as a couple of weeks. Is this the one you’re referring to: [https://smile.amazon.com/at-Home-COVID-19-Antigen-Self-Test-Authorized/dp/B09FP6HWCV/ref=sr\_1\_9?keywords=covid%2Btest%2Bhome&qid=1639855666&refinements=p\_72%3A1248921011&rnid=1248919011&s=industrial&sr=1-9&th=1](https://smile.amazon.com/at-Home-COVID-19-Antigen-Self-Test-Authorized/dp/B09FP6HWCV/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=covid%2Btest%2Bhome&qid=1639855666&refinements=p_72%3A1248921011&rnid=1248919011&s=industrial&sr=1-9&th=1) Depending on how you enter your search terms in amazon, you get different results. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648/18 "2021-12-18T20:52:38Z")
I try to have several home tests on hand because of my mother. From what I understand the antigen test has a higher rate of false negative but if it’s positive you got it. But that’s the case with the rapid antigen test you get at the pharmacy too. I don’t know what the current state is. I bought a few a couple of weeks ago. I have a feeling things have changed in those weeks with the current surge. I was having trouble finding them in CVS and Walgreens but I could get them on Amazon and CVS online. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648/19 "2021-12-21T12:45:20Z")
> [@susan](#): > > Or ask your doctor to report it. This is probably the answer. Here in Ontario, I have a friend who is a dentist, and he received a lot of the home tests from the government, for obvious reasons. Last week he was told to distribute as many as he could to the public, so I got a set of five, but he made a point of asking us to report our test results, positive or negative, to him, as he’s supposed to pass that information along to the powers that be. The test instructions that came with the tests also indicate if you get a positive result, you should then schedule a PCR test to confirm it, so that will be reported as well, even if I forget to tell my friend. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648/20 "2021-12-21T14:48:38Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > I have a friend who is a dentist, and he received a lot of the home tests from the government, for obvious reasons… What are the “obvious” reasons? (I’m known to be clueless at times…) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-covid-tests-and-infection-rates/955648.md?page=2)