Orange County distributes COVID-19 test kits to residents at home

With long lines outside many COVID-19 test sites and delays in results, several start-ups now offer a solution: home test kits.

The Orange County Health Agency has started offering free home testing kits to all OC residents, making the convenient option more widespread.

One of the sets is a saliva-based test from Ambry Genetics, which first became available last month in Santa Ana and Anaheim.

The second is a nasal swab test performed by Picture Genetics.

Other types of home tests also enter the market, such as a molecular test from BioSpyder, the more proactive approach for those who are asymptomatic. This “surveillance test” lets a group of people know if at least one test is positive.

Once you have ordered a test from the BioSpyder website, a box with four or more tubes will arrive, each for a single person.

After gargling with the supplied mouthwash, spit it back into the tube and ship the box back. Results can be expected in 24-48 hours.

Surveillance testing is not regulated by the FDA because it focuses on a group outcome, not individual tests.

BioSpyder CEO Joel McComb says this option can work with companies that want to target certain exchanges or departments.

“If you have someone who comes asymptomatic, this can have devastating effects on other people who will develop symptoms,” McComb said.

McComb also warned that these surveillance tests are not a way out of safety.

“This does not exempt you from state and federal guidelines,” he said.

There is also a home test created by Abbott Laboratories that delivers results in just 15 minutes. This test comes with a virtual guide.