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

With long lines out of many COVID-19 test sites and delays in results, several startups now offer a solution: home test kits.

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

One of the kits is a saliva-based test by Ambry Genetics, which was first available last month in Santa Ana and Anaheim alone.

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

Other types of home testing are also coming to market, such as a BioSpyder molecular test, the most proactive approach for those with no symptoms. This “surveillance test” lets a group of people know if at least one test is positive.

Once you request a test on the BioSpyder website, a box with four or more tubes will arrive, each for one person.

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

Surveillance tests are not regulated by the FDA, as they focus on a group outcome, not individual tests.

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

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

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

“That doesn’t free you from state and federal guidelines,” he said.

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