When it comes to home testing, accuracy matters.
Molecular and Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAATs) like the Detect Covid-19 Test™ look for genetic material from the virus, using a process that reproduces millions to billions of copies of viral RNA from a quick nasal swab. Molecular tests can catch Covid-19 early in infection, at low viral loads and often before symptoms arise. This allows you to stop an infection from spreading to others - within households, schools or workplaces.
What about antigen tests?
Antigen tests are often referred to as "contagiousness tests". They register positive when you have a high viral load as they look for viral proteins, not RNA. Their benefit is speed, but they can sometimes show a false negative if you test yourself too early in your infection. Detect is at least 50x more sensitive than leading antigen tests, allowing for earlier detection. If you've recently been exposed and need to know your Covid-19 status with certainty, rapid molecular tests like Detect are the most reliable home testing option.
What about emerging variants like Omicron BA.2?
The Detect Test is expected to recognize all variants of concern including Delta and Omicron (both BA.1 and BA.2). We use bioinformatic analysis to constantly monitor test performance against new variants, matching the genetic code of the virus with our test's targets before a variant starts to spread in the community. Therefore, a molecular test gives you a greater level of certainty in your result, especially as new variants emerge.
"I had a feeling I had Covid. BinaxNow said nope. The @DetectTest said yep." -Joana Stern, The Wall Street Journal
Our team is dedicated to protecting your health and the health of your loved ones. Detect provides PCR-quality testing at home, with results in 1 hour, at a lower price than any other molecular test you can buy. When accuracy matters, why use any other test?
