Los Angeles County has a home test collection program to reduce COVID-19 spread during the holidays, according to a release emailed to the Deseret News.
The program will use something called Picture COVID-19, a Food and Drug Administration-approved home collection test developed by Fulgent Genetics Inc.
Individuals can get testing kits in the pilot program if they:
- Have COVID-19 symptoms.
- Were recently in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 or who might have it.
- Are senior citizens or people with disabilities who feel like they were exposed to COVID-19 but can’t go to a testing site.
How it works:
- Visit the county COVID-19 testing site.
- Qualified patients will get a collect kit shipped to their home within two days.
- They take the test and follow the examples on the box. Then, they’ll drop it off at a FedEx drop box.
- Patients will receive test results by email in two days. In the meantime, they are advised to follow public health guidelines.
Why it matters:
Dr. Clemens Hong, who oversees COVID-19 testing for L.A. County under the Department of Health Services, said the test will help people during the holidays.
- “As the surge in cases and hospitalizations continues, L.A. County is trying innovative ways to meet the testing demand and stem the community spread of the virus.”
- “We are doing everything we can to make sure testing is available to all,” Hong said. “This allows us to reach even more people — and they don’t have to risk exposing others by leaving their homes. It’s an important step for combatting the virus in L.A. County.”