Abbott Laboratories, a company based out of North Chicago, announced yesterday that they would be shipping out a new home COVID-19 test to major retailers before the product hits store shelves across the country.

According to the press release from Abbott, they began shipping its BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Self Test to retailers across the country. Abbott says that consumers can expect the test to be available in the next few days online and in some stores. Abbott intends to have nationwide availability in the next two weeks as tests work their way through their distribution channels.

A number of months back, my family and I thought that perhaps we had been exposed to someone with COVID-19, and it was quickly determined that we needed to go and get ourselves tested. We took advantage of the testing done at the Mercyhealth location on Perryville, which offered drive-thru testing. We didn't really know what to expect when we visited, but Mercyhealth kept the line moving nicely, and we were quickly seen and tested by the outstanding people they had outside conducting the tests. Big thumbs up on how they went about their jobs.

Would we have gone for drive-thru testing if a home test kit had been made available to us? I'm going to say the answer is probably not. Nothing against the drive-thru testing, but if I had the opportunity to handle the testing myself in my own home, I more than likely would have gone for it.

Referring to the rollout of the new at-home COVID-19 test kits, Abbott Laboratories says that the BinaxNOW Self Test initially will be available at CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens and Walmart "as part of Abbott's commitment to get the country's most studied COVID-19 rapid test to as many Americans as possible." The test, which can be purchased over the counter without a prescription, will then roll out to other major food, drug and mass merchandisers in the weeks ahead.

You'll probably want to know what one of these kits will set you back.

Abbott Laboratories:

The BinaxNOW Self Test will be sold in 2-count packs for an MSRP of $23.99, making it the most affordable OTC COVID-19 rapid test available in the U.S. Abbott is the only manufacturer in the U.S. that has Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for a COVID-19 self test that can provide tests immediately at this scale.

 

LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.

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