The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to spread all over the world. What's even worse is that it does not just infect people from different parts of the world. Rather, the illness has already killed over 10,000 people from different genders, ages, and nationalities.
Specifically, based on the data released in worldometers.info, to date, "245,630 coronavirus cases worldwide" have been recorded. And, from this figure, 10,048 deaths have been reported.
The number, both for COVID-19 cases and fatalities continue to rise each day as more and more people fall under either those being monitored, investigated and treated in their respected areas of residence. More so, because of this significant growth in numbers, a shortage of COVID-19 test kits is currently being experienced by some countries.
In connection to the issue on test kits, with the slow rollout of COVID-19 testing in the United States, not to mention the growing concerns about the widespread of the infectious disease, "at-home testing" can help in diagnosing more coronavirus cases.
That's why Everlywell, a company that provides lab tests and home-testing kits to consumers, has added the "COVID-19 tests" starting on March 23.
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FDA Approved
After initially restricting tests to one which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided, and conducted at the local and state public laboratories, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allowed several certified labs, including commercial lab testing firms, to develop and eventually distribute COVID-19 tests in late February.
Even though other private firms have been engaged with the developments of COVID-19 tests, Everlywell is the first American company to offer its coronavirus test directly to the customers.
Based in Austin, Everly is currently offering a great range of validated home-tests for almost all health conditions like cholesterol levels, infectious diseases such as STDs, and fertility, to name a few.
Essentially, consumers can place their orders of the "Everlywell COVID-19 test" on the company's official website. However, there are questions first, that should be answered. The said questions are about the customers' basic health, risk factors, and symptoms for COVID-19.
More so, there is still a need for a doctor to prescribe the test. Therefore, the telemedicine doctors from a national physicians' network called, PWNHealth, the one prescribing the diagnostic test, then evaluates the answers carefully to determine if the consumer ordering the kit is qualified for the testing.
The review is based on the criteria which the CDC has established.
Once a consumer qualifies for the test, the Everlywell COVID-19 test then will be sent in two days. The kit which comes with a special swab, "long enough to take samples from the throat area and back of the nose" and detailed instructions cost $135. But for those who opt for a faster delivery like, overnight delivery, customers may opt to pay for an additional $30.
Results Sent via Email and Text Message
Since this is purely a home testing for coronavirus, the Everlywell COVID-19 test results, the company said, will be sent through email and text message. Doctors may advise as well if a person needs to self-isolate until he receives the results. If the test gives a positive result, Everly then is to provide a complete telemedicine consultation "with one of its roughly 200 physicians."
The cost of the consultation is also included in the amount paid for the test. Moreover, the physician reports the result as positive too, to the proper state health departments, as this is mandated by the health authorities.
According to Everlywell, it is all set to ship 30,000 COVID-19 test kits, and plan to increase the number of its samples of lab processing. However, Julia Cheek, the company's founder, and CEO said, scaling up these testing kits' numbers will rely on the swabs' availability for the collection of samples.
The official also said, there are three major companies currently making the swabs. However, she added, it turns out that the main producer is in Italy which is also currently under lockdown due.
Because of this, there are limited supplies from the country, and as the outpouring demand for more COVid-19 testing is done all over the world, there is now, as earlier mentioned, a worldwide shortage of swabs for laboratories that perform the test.
This is the reason, the first kits of Everlywell, according to Cheek, will be limited to one in every household until the swab supply becomes abundant.
