The BinaxNOW COVID 19 test has been approved for use at home by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It can detect active SARS-CoV-2 infections, the virus that causes COVID-19.
The number of people infected with COVID-19 in the United States and around the world continues to climb. It is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that you get tested frequently, particularly if you have recently been in touch with persons who have symptoms or test positive for the virus. This will help to prevent the virus from becoming more widespread.
When it comes to tests that can be performed in the comfort of one’s own home, the BinaxNOW COVID-19 test is one of the at-home COVID-19 tests that are authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under an emergency use authorization.
You can take this test to determine whether or not you are experiencing symptoms. It is recommended by the makers of the test that you take it twice over three days, even if you do not have any symptoms.
The information that follows will inform you about this testing kit, including its pricing, any necessary safety measures, and more.
What is the BinaxNOW COVID-19 test?
An active infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can be detected in people with and without symptoms using the BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test, which is an FDA-authorized at-home test kit for detecting active infections.
This test kit can screen for a variety of SARS-CoV-2 strains, including the Delta and Omicron types, according to the company that makes it.
How It Works?
The BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test is a quick test that checks for the presence or absence of proteins from the virus that causes COVID-19 by using a sample obtained from a nose swab that is only a few millimeters deep.
Instructions For Using BinaxNow:
Inside your box, you’ll find two test kits, each containing a swab, a test card in a pouch, and a dropper bottle.
- Follow the instructions that come with the kit to take your sample.
- Wait at least 15 minutes but not longer than 30 to read your results.
- If your result is negative and you don’t have any symptoms, you can test twice over the course of 3 days. Make sure that you wait at least 24 hours, but no longer than 48 hours between tests. If you have symptoms, you only need to take one test.
What we think
The Chief Medical Officer at Peach Medical conducted an evaluation of the BinaxNOW COVID-19 kit and discovered that it is quite comparable to other at-home testing kits that are currently on the market.
She stated that it arrived with “pretty much everything I needed to perform the two tests,” including two test cards, two dropper bottles, two swabs, and an instruction page. “It came with pretty much everything I needed to take the two tests,” she said. The only thing I needed to give for myself was a time, and doing so on my phone was really simple.
Dr. Kirk mentioned that he has tried several different at-home COVID-19 tests in the past and that he found BinaxNOW to be the most simple and straightforward of all of the available options.
BinaxNOW COVID-19 test accuracy
You can have confidence in the results of a COVID-19 test kit that you do at home if the test reveals that you have the infection if those results are positive. Specifically, this pertains to the BinaxNOW COVID-19 test.
However, if the results of the test turn out to be negative, you might not be able to rely on this test kit (or other similar solutions available at home). It is possible that you still have COVID-19, particularly if you are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19.
It is recommended by the manufacturers that you repeat the test after 24 to 48 hours in order to validate the results. In the event that it continues to produce poor results despite your symptoms, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
If you find that the result is invalid, then the test did not work properly, and you will need to take the test again.
According to the findings of a study that was highlighted by the FDA, the BinaxNOW COVID-19 test kit had an accuracy rate of 91.7% when detecting positive instances and a reliability rating of 100% when detecting negative cases.
However, the FDA also indicated that because the study was so small, it believes that the kit can correctly detect between 73% and 98.9% of positive instances. This is despite the fact that the study was so small.
The BinaxNow kit exhibited an accuracy rate of 84.6% when it came to accurately identifying a person as having COVID-19 among those who had been exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms for at least seven days, as determined by Trusted Source’s testing. Additionally, it had an accuracy of 98.5% when identifying those who did not have COVID-19.
According to the findings of earlier research, you should be able to rely on the kit to detect variations Omicron and Delta, as well as other variants of concern (VOC).
Instructions For Use Of The BinaxNOW COVID-19 Test Kit
Before taking your sample
- Wash and dry your hands.
- Your box will contain two test kits; take out one. You’ll find a swab, a test card, and a dropper bottle.
- Take the card from its pouch and check if it has the blue control line. Don’t use it if it doesn’t have the blue control line. Open the card and let it stay flat on a table.
- Pour 6 drops of the liquid from the dropper bottle into the top hole on the card. Don’t let the tip of the bottle touch the card.
Taking your sample
- Insert the soft end of the swab about halfway into a nostril. Press the swab against the walls of your nostrils and create five big circles with the swab in your nostril.
- Repeat for the other nostril.
Taking the test
- Insert the tip of the swab into the lower hole on the card and push it in till you can see it from the top hole.
- Turn the swab to the right three times so it can mix with the drops. Leave the swab in that spot.
- Peel the sticky liner off, then close the left side of the card to cover the swab. Seal the card.
- Wait 15 minutes to see your results. Don’t check your results until after 15 minutes but don’t wait longer than 30 minutes.
Interpreting your results
- Check the result window on the card and look for pink or purple lines.
- If you find two pink or purple lines, your test result is positive for COVID-19.
- Your test result is negative if you find a single pink or purple line.
- If no line shows up, a blue line appears, a blue and pink or purple line appears, then your result is invalid, and you have to take another test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it possible for someone to receive a false-positive result for COVID-19 when they use the BinaxNOW COVID-19 antigen test?
According to the FDA, even if you have COVID-19, you still have the potential to have a negative result (this is called a false negative). Despite this, the corporation makes no indication of the possibility of receiving a result that is falsely positive. Even though there haven’t been any reports of false-positive results using this test kit, you should still be aware of the possibility of such a thing happening.
How accurate are tests that are done quickly for COVID-19?
According to the findings of a study that was conducted in 2021, fast COVID-19 tests were able to detect infection with SARS-CoV-2 in 72% of patients who were experiencing symptoms and 58% of people who were not experiencing symptoms.
Do insurance policies include coverage for BinaxNOW test kits?
People who have a health plan or health insurance at the beginning of the year 2022 will have the option to get any FDA-authorized at-home test for free or be reimbursed for the cost of the at-home test. You can get more information by getting in touch with your provider.
Who is qualified to use this diagnostic kit?
This test is open to everyone aged 15 and older, with or without COVID-19 symptoms, and whether or not they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. But if you don’t have any symptoms and the test results come back negative, you should get another test done between 24 and 48 hours later.
For youngsters older than 2 years old, an adult will need to administer the test.
Our Opinion
In our opinion, if you want to determine whether or not you have COVID-19, you may do it in a speedy and economical manner by using the BinaxNow At Home Test Kit, 2 Pack or our BinaxNow At Home Test Kit 4 Pack. You can also take these exams regardless of where you are, and the results will be provided to you within a few minutes.
The BinaxNOW COVID-19 test is a COVID-19 test kit that has been authorized by the FDA and is being sold under an EUA. It can determine whether or not you have the virus. Within the next 15 to 30 minutes, your findings will be made available to you.
Even though this test kit has been approved by the FDA, it does not have a 100% success rate and may still produce misleading or inconclusive findings. For more accurate findings, you may wish to speak with your physician or participate in a PCR test in person.
Disclaimer: Peach Medical strongly recommends discussing any testing plans or protocols with a certified physician or healthcare professional before making any decisions. The information provided by Peach Medical is intended to be general in nature and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.