What you need to know before using at-home coronavirus (COVID-19) testing kits

Tests being sold online in Metro Detroit

DETROIT – Home coronavirus (COVID-19) testing kits are for sale and being posted online locally, but there are some things you need to know before you shell out big money.

One particular home coronavirus test being sold in Metro Detroit is promoted on Facebook and sold in Wyandotte for $200.

Those selling the product promote the positives: taking the test at home and avoiding hospitals. You get the results quickly and the transaction is cash-only, so insurance companies don’t get involved.

But the test kits aren’t approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. So while there is a convenience factor with a home test, there’s also concern among medical professionals that the results won’t get logged.

Your information won’t help experts working to track the spread of the virus.

The home test kits are popping up in major cities that are considered hot spots, with Detroit among that group.

You can hear Dr. Frank McGeorge’s perspective on the at-home tests in the video posted above.


About the Authors

Hank Winchester is Local 4’s Consumer Investigative Reporter and the head of WDIV’s “Help Me Hank” Consumer Unit. Hank works to solve consumer complaints, reveal important recalls and track down thieves who have ripped off people in our community.

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.

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