E-commerce giant Amazon, Inc., announced on Tuesday that it would selling its own brand of at-home COVID-19 test kits for customers in the United States. The PCR test was initially launched for Amazon employees and has received emergency use authorization from the U.S. FDA. The test kit is valued at USD 39.99 on the Amazon website and will be shipped via Amazon Prime.
Amid the pandemic, Amazon developed in-house labs and COVID-19 testing program for its more than 750,000 frontline workers in the U.S. and the U.K. Now, the tech giant has expanded the offering of COVID-19 test kits to its customers. The test kit – that requires no prescription – offers a package containing all the necessary items required to perform a nasal swab. Customers can return the collection with the swab in the return box that is included in the kit to Amazon and the company will provide results within 24 hours after receiving the sample. The company is utilizing the more accurate RT-PCR method, which requires the sample to be processed in the labs. According to Amazon, the Amazon COVID-19 Test Collection Kit DTC will include swab, a collection tube with saline, a plastic bag equipped with an absorbent pad, and a return box with a shipping label to send the sample back to Amazon. The kit also includes how-to instructions to get results through AmazonDx.com. These tests can meet the necessary requirements to travel within in the United States, except Hawaii.
The return box and shipping is handled by UPS at no extra charge and the samples will be sent to Amazon’s CAP accredited and CLIA-certified lab located in Hebron, Kentucky. The addition of new COVID-19 test kits expands healthcare offerings of the e-commerce giant, which includes Halo health band and service, cloud-based services for healthcare, and Amazon Pharmacy, a prescription delivery service.
