How Accurate Are At-Home COVID Tests?
Definition: At-home COVID tests, also known as self-tests or rapid tests, are medical devices that allow individuals to test themselves for COVID-19 in the comfort of their own homes, without the need for a healthcare professional to administer the test.
Example: One common type of at-home COVID test is a lateral flow test, which involves taking a nasal or throat swab and placing it into a test cassette. The cassette contains antibodies that bind to specific proteins on the SARS-CoV-2 virus. If the virus is present, a colored line will appear on the cassette, indicating a positive result.