WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – As the federal government prepares to mail out at-home COVID-19 tests, a local health care provider says there are a few things about them you should be wary of.
Mark Knowles, a physician assistant with Watertown Urgent Care, says while they’re a great resource, we shouldn’t rely too heavily on at-home tests because there is room for error.
As an example, Knowles says if you don’t insert the swab far enough up the nose, the results could be thrown off.
“The swab typically almost has to go up into about this depth – not enough to where it hurts. It should not hurt a person. But, if the person is then noticing, like wow, a little uncomfortable, water of the eyes or want to sneeze, you did it right,” he said.
Knowles says at-home tests also allow people to report results inaccurately, saying they tested negative when in reality they tested positive or vice versa.
There are also concerns cold weather could impact the results, so people who live in states with cold temperatures should keep a close watch on their mailboxes to make sure the packages aren’t left in the elements for too long.
The test kits are supposed to be stored between 36 and 86 degrees and warn consumers not to freeze them on the box.
Health officials say the tests will be fine if they’re sitting in a frigid mailbox for a few hours, but some manufacturers warn that any extended time spent in extreme cold or heat could impact the test results.
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