Should you take an at-home COVID-19 test?

(KSLA) - KSLA News crews have noticed long lines at the COVID-19 testing sites. Meanwhile, companies like BinaxNOW, Ellume and Pixel by Labcorp have released at-home COVID-19 tests.

“PCR is the gold standard, but people who are nervous, they have a cold, runny nose or fever, it’s a great way to sort of test,” said Dr. Andrew Yurochko, professor and vice-chair of microbiology and immunology at LSU Health Shreveport.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Abbott’s BinaxNOW Test correctly gave a positive test result 84.6% of the time, and correctly gave a negative test result 98.5% of the time.

“Home testing is something that could make all of us feel comfortable,” Yurochko said.

Ochsner Health leaders announced Tuesday, Aug. 24 that the demand for testing has increased during the fourth surge.

“We’re very pleased testing has gone back up so we can monitor this closely in our communities,” said Ochsner Health’s Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Robert Hart.

Even though these tests are taken at home, people are still expected to report positive results to their local healthcare providers or local or state health departments, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The FDA has given emergency use authorization to certain at-home tests. Click here to see the full list.

Copyright 2021 KSLA. All rights reserved.