Emily Volk, president of the College of American Pathologists, informed Healthline."With scarcity of testing alternatives offered, consumers have actually ended up being desperate, and a lot of bad stars have actually emerged to capitalize on this vulnerability," Justin Simons, the CEO and creator of licensed and recognized COVID-19 screening lab Mylabsdirect, told Healthline. "We have actually been approached by a variety of unprofessional groups asking how much we would pay them to send us samples.
If you're thinking about purchasing a COVID-19 at-home test package online, it takes just a couple of minutes to validate whether it's real or fake by inspecting the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website. The FDA preserves a of every SARS-Co, V-2 antigen diagnostic test approved under its emergency situation usage permission (EUA) procedure.
"Before taking or buying any kind of coronavirus test, you ought to initially confirm that the test is approved by the FDA and consult with your medical care physician about taking such a test. You likewise must only buy the tests through sources that you have actually verified are genuine, and be very careful when ordering them online."Dr.
Being selective about where you purchase your at-home test likewise can help safeguard against fraud, stated Geoff Trenkle, D.O., co-founder of Total Testing Solutions, which supplies COVID-19 screening in the Los Angeles location."You ought to not buy any COVID-19 Antigen non-prescription (OTC) test kit unless it is from a dependable source," Trenkle informed Healthline.
"Packaging ought to likewise not remain in foreign languages, and all kits need to come in boxes, not as specific pieces or in plastic bags."Volk cautioned against purchasing test kits online unless it's from a website operated by a credible vendor, such as large pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens. Read This included that fraudsters "are adept at marketing fake antibody tests through social networks, e-mail, and phone call.