Prescription-free rapid COVID-19 tests that can be taken at home will be on sale at some Walgreens, Walmart, and CVS stores starting this week.
One test kit, produced by Abbott Laboratories, will be sold at all three retailers, as well as online, while CVS stores in Rhode Island and Massachusetts will sell another test made by the Australia-based company Ellume. The latter will be available online and in other states by the end of May, USA Today notes.
The benefits of the tests are clear — people don't need to visit a doctor or testing center (which should come in handy now that some mass testing sites have been converted into vaccination sites), and both deliver results in about 15 minutes.
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There are concerns, though. For starters, antigen tests are less reliable than PCR tests, generally, and, while that issue could be countered by taking multiple at-home tests, both kits are fairly expensive. Abbott's cost $23.99 and Ellume's has a price tag of $38.99. Read more at USA Today.
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