The National Institutes of Health has launched a website MakeMyTestCount.org which allows people to anonymously report the results of any brand of at-home COVID-19 test.
The website is a collaboration between the NIH and a healthcare technology company, CareEvolution.
Data collected is anonymous and sent to public health systems that receive test results from laboratories and doctor’s offices. Users provide general information such as age and zip code and have the option to include race, ethnicity, sex, and symptoms, but it is not required.
Medical director of infection prevention and employee health Dr. Seth Cohen shows a sample test kit at a drive-through clinic for coronavirus, flu and RSV, at UW Medical Center Northwest in Seattle, Washington, March 9, 2020.
Lindsey Wasson/Reuters, FILE
Given the rise of at-home tests, accurately tracking the number of COVID-19 cases has become increasingly difficult. This new website may help provide scientists with a clearer picture of how many people are testing positive and may not require medical care which would normally alert public health systems of the positive test. More accurate data may allow public health departments to modify responses to address outbreaks and spread.
A study done in March suggested at-home test use varies by demographics. COVID at-home test use was highest among persons who identified as white, adults aged 30–39 years, those with annual household incomes of $150,000, and those with postgraduate degrees.
