Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) today announced that consumers will be able to order one of its COVID-19 diagnostics online and collect the specimen at home, without visiting a doctor’s office.
QuestDirect Active Infection is also available by drive-through at more than 500 Walmart Neighborhood Market locations. Results are interpreted by a physician and provided digitally through the MyQuest patient portal, designed to allow individuals to share results securely online with friends, family and physicians, according to the Secaucus, N.J.-based company.
The molecular diagnostic test has FDA emergency use authorization and includes a swab for collecting a sample from the front of the nose. After an individual purchases the test online, a licensed physician providing clinical oversight for QuestDirect will review the order and, if deemed appropriate, order the test, according to the company.
Quest will mail a specimen collection to the individual’s home. The individual may then submit the specimen in the kit via FedEx overnight to a Quest Diagnostics laboratory or bring it to one of the Walmart drive-through pharmacy windows where a pharmacist will observe the collection process.
The specimen will be picked up from a secure drop box and delivered to a Quest laboratory for testing. Physicians will be available online post-test to help consumers interpret the result and referral them to appropriate care, the company added.
The company launched its QuestDirect COVID-19 antibody test in April 2020.