HOUSTON — Testing for COVID-19 is set to get a lot easier over the next few months.
"This one is a gamechanger," said Dr. Joe Petrosino, a virology expert with Baylor College of Medicine.
The White House announced a $231.8 million contract with Australian company Ellume to mass-produce rapid at home COVID tests that yield immediate results. No prescription is necessary and they're accurate 95% of the time.
"For an at-home test in 15 minutes, it's almost the same as a PCR test which is outstanding," Petrosino said.
Petrosino said the test is easy to use, too. It requires a less-invasive nasal swab than the ones you're used to at mass testing sites. You then put the sample in a digital analyzer and your result is sent to your phone in minutes. Your result automatically uploaded to public health officials.
"For right now, it's the strongest, most-effective test out there for at-home testing," Petrosino said.
The one potential problem is the price. Each test runs about $30. That means a family of four is looking at more than $100. That's still too high for everyday use.
"It definitely needs to come lower and needs to be accessible to all individuals," Petrosino said.
Petrosino is hopeful mass production will bring costs down. Ellume plans to build a manufacturing facility in the U.S. and is planning to churn out 18.5 million of these tests per month by the end of 2021 to be made available at retail stores and pharmacies.
"If it's anytime this year that we can get it in people's hands that would be awesome, the sooner the better," Petrosino said.
The easier it is to test, the easier it will be to stop the spread of possible new variants.