So far, I have experience with three different COVID self-tests. The one that I am discussing today, the On/Go COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test, is easy to find because it is on Amazon, it is basically free if you live in the United States because you can now get reimbursed from your health insurer, and it is especially easy to use because it works with a free iPhone app. While you can use the test without an iPhone by following printed directions, it is far easier to use this test with the app because the app clearly walks you through every step of the process.
I first came across the On/Go COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test because I was trying to find a COVID test at local pharmacies and they were out of stock. Thus, I turned to Amazon and found this test, which is one of the 13 brands of self-tests authorized by FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization. The On/Go product is manufactured in the United States.
Taking the test
When you first use the On/Go app, you need to provide some basic details such as your name. After that, to use this test, click the Start test button.
The app will prompt you to scan a QR code on the side of the box, which I presume tells the app which specific serial number you are using for the test. Next, you tell the app who the test is for — yourself, or a dependent.
The app asks for your Zip Code. Then it provides a list of symptoms that you can select, or a none-of-the-above option if you have none.
Don't take medical advice from me because I'm a lawyer, not a doctor. Having said that, I've seen it reported that at-home tests like this one are less accurate if you are asymptomatic. For example, Emily Anthes reported earlier this month in the New York Times that at-home tests "are more sensitive in people with symptoms than without and are most sensitive during the first week of symptoms, studies have found." Obviously, a PCR test is going to be more accurate. Nevertheless, there is a definite advantage to being able to perform a test in your own home, and the manufacturer of the On/Go test says that its test is 95% accurate.
The app gives you clear, specific instructions for removing the components and getting them ready.
When you are ready to insert the swab in your nose, the app tells you what to do and provides a countdown timer so you know exactly how long you should do it.
Next, you place the swab into a vial and follow a few specific steps.
After you have prepared the vial, you then put three drops of the sample into the well in the test cassette.
Finally, you wait ten minutes—another countdown timer is provided—before you can see the result.
When the time is up, the app walks you through how to interpret the result, but basically, you are just looking to see if a line appears. The app also instructs you to take a picture of the test strip, but I don't see any option to see the picture after you take it. Also, the app does not interpret the test strip—it relies upon you to click a button in the app to indicate whether the test was positive or negative.
I see that there is another COVID self-test on Amazon with an app, the BD Veritor at-Home COVID-19 Digital Test Kit, that does use the app to interpret your results. And there is also one called Cue that uses an app to determine results, but it is incredibly expensive and requires a subscription. I haven't tried either of those; I can only compare the On/Go test to the other ones that I have used (Abbot's BinaxNow and QuickVue).
Why does the On/Go app take the picture? It appears that the reason is to ensure the validity of your specific test. The On/Go website say in its FAQ section:
The unique barcode on your test device contains essential information to ensure test validity. In the event the barcode is not valid for any reason, you will be presented with a final screen indicating an invalid result. When you are prompted to take a photo of your test, it helps ensure that the test is valid and not expired.
As you can see from the pictures that I included above, the iPhone app makes the On/Go test incredibly easy to use. And I see that I am not the only one to say this. In an article for WIRED, Brenda Stolyar concluded: "Of all the at-home rapid tests I've tried so far, this was the easiest to use. The steps are simple enough that I'm not reaching for the instructions every single time—something I can't say for the others."
Expiration date
The On/Go tests that I purchased on Amazon in December have an expiration date printed on the box of March 2022. However, I see on the On/Go website that this has been extended for an additional three months and may be extended even more:
SHELF LIFE EXTENSION: On January 20, 2022, the FDA granted a three-month shelf-life extension for On/Go COVID-19 Antigen Self-Tests. This extended the shelf-life for all On/Go Self-Tests from 6 months to 9 months. So, if the expiration date printed on your box states February 2022, the expiration date for the test is now May 31, 2022. Please note, the expiration date for the tests is the last day of the labeled expiration month. ... We will continue to apply to FDA for shelf-life extensions every three months based on our stability studies, and the new shelf-lives for our tests will apply to tests already produced as well as future production.
It is good to know that this test can be used for even longer than it says on the box.
Other features
The app also includes a Passport feature, which allows you to show someone your name, test status, and date of the test along with a QR code. I'm not sure how reliable this is considering that you yourself are telling the app whether you tested positive or negative based on what you see on the test strip. I suppose that you could also use this as a personal reminder of when you tested yourself or a dependent.
Conclusion
Testing yourself or a loved one for COVID has the potential to make you nervous, which leads to the possibility of making mistakes. But with an app guiding you every step of the way, it seems to me that the risk of mistakes decreases. I recommend that everyone get a COVID test to keep at home because you never know when you will need one and you cannot count on stock being available at a local pharmacy. Remember that if you live in the United States, you can now get reimbursed from your medical insurance company for up to eight tests each month (four boxes of On/Go because there are two tests in each box). I recommend the On/Go test because I find that the iPhone app makes it even easier to use than other brands of COVID tests.
Click here to get the On/Go COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test from Amazon ($24.00 for two tests).