Amazon announced this week that its at-home COVID-19 test kit is now available to U.S. customers.  

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted an Emergency Use Authorization to the Amazon COVID-19 Test Collection Kit DTC earlier this year, paving the way for its broader use.   

"Even as COVID-19 vaccinations continue, widespread access to reliable and affordable COVID-19 testing remains a critical tool in the fight against the spread of the virus," said Amazon Vice President Cem Sibay in a statement.  

WHY IT MATTERS

The direct-to-consumer kit can be purchased on Amazon.com for $39.99, with no-cost Amazon Prime delivery. It is authorized for use by adults with or without COVID-19 symptoms.   

The kit requires a sample collection using a lower nasal swab and registration of the test. Although it is not covered by insurance, the collection kit is FSA and HSA eligible, and includes prepaid next-day return delivery to Amazon's Kentucky-based diagnostics laboratory. The kits are processed using RT-PCR, generally considered more accurate than antigen testing.  

Customers will receive results within 24 hours, available via AmazonDx.com.   

As of Wednesday, customers with ZIP codes in major metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Boston, Dallas or Sacramento could order the kit to be delivered by Friday.

ZIP codes in other major cities, such as in Atlanta or New Orleans, were estimating delivery times of Sunday or Monday.   

Some ZIP codes in Louisville, Kentucky – about a 90-minute drive from the Amazon testing facility – were facing estimated delivery times of six days as of Wednesday.  

Meanwhile, some ZIP codes in Portland, Maine, could take up to a week to receive the test.   

THE LARGER TREND

Amazon's multipronged approach to healthcare has ramped up in 2021.   

In addition to its at-home COVID-19 testing kits, which it hinted at in May, it has also signaled a potential move into other diagnostics, including sexually transmitted infections.

Meanwhile, it has begun to roll out its as-promised telehealth initiative nationwide, reportedly signing multiple clients to its app-based primary and urgent care service.   

ON THE RECORD  

"The Amazon collection kit offers customers the convenience they’ve come to expect from Amazon.com by providing access to COVID-19 testing whenever and wherever they need it," said Sibay in a statement. 

"The test collection kit provides highly accurate and timely results, helping customers feel more confident as they safely return to travel, work, college and daily life," he added.

Kat Jercich is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Twitter: @kjercich
Email: kjercich@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.