Free COVID testing is back. But there are more accurate tests for sale.

Manufacturer of the most accurate house COVID-19 Tests on the market show that they have not been taken into account by the Biden administration latest round of free orders via COVIDTests.gov, which will rely on less sensitive testing for the seventh time “Antigen” testsThese are generally the cheaper options available on drugstore shelves.

Federal health authorities have justified this Millions they spent on device makers for the latest waves as crucial to subsidizing U.S. factories capable of producing tests ahead of another potential pandemic, at a time when demand has evaporated.

Tax dollars largely went to manufacturers of low-cost rapid antigen tests such as Access Bio in New Jersey and iHealth in California, rather than more accurate “molecular” alternatives that have also been given the green light by the Food and Drug Administration.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response said all tests distributed “meet the sensitivity and specificity requirements established by the FDA.”

“ASPR has prioritized sourcing tests that are affordable, accurate and manufactured domestically,” the spokesperson said.

What are the most accurate home tests for COVID-19?

The FDA has currently approved only four over-the-counter molecular test brands for COVID-19, which are the most accurate but also the most expensive options:

• Pfizer's Lucira sells a single-use test with the cheapest upfront cost, starting at $39.99, that detects both COVID-19 and influenza. The FDA states that results take approximately 30 minutes and the shelf life of each test is 18 months.
• Aptitude Medical Systems sells a “starter pack” that includes a reusable reader and two test kits for $99.97. The FDA says results take about 30 minutes and the shelf life of the tests is about 18 months. Additional test kits cost $24.99.
• 3EO Health sells a “starter kit” that includes a reusable testing device and two swabs for $195. The FDA says results take about 30 minutes and the tests have a shelf life of four months. Additional swabs and “test keys” cost $39.90 for a two-pack.
• Cue Health sells a reusable “reader” that costs $199. Test kits are currently out of stock on the company's website. The FDA says results take about 20 minutes and the shelf life of the tests is about four months.

These prices are many times higher than for antigen tests, even though device manufacturers say that COVID-19 tests are generally possible flexible spending account or health savings account dollars and may be reimbursable under some health insurance plans.

Results from a molecular test take longer because the machines have to trigger chemical reactions to amplify any traces of the virus that would otherwise be missed by less accurate tests.

That results in an advertised sensitivity – its accuracy in correctly detecting infections – of over 90%, even when people have no symptoms of the virus.

In contrast, the FDA warns that Americans who rely on antigen tests should be prepared to use multiple kits if they fear they are infected.

Because antigen options carry a higher risk of producing a false negative result, especially early in an infection, the agency said people should repeat their tests several days after their first negative test.

This difference is important at the beginning of a course a COVID-19 infectionwhen the CDC says people tend to be the most contagious. The highest amount of infectious virus is detected in patients “within a few days before and after the onset” of symptoms.

This is what the CDC says his latest instructions that a negative antigen test can still be a useful “option” to assess when it is safer to end isolation at the end of an infection, and provide others with a “rough approximation of whether a person is still infectious.”

What brands of antigen tests do COVIDTests.gov ship?

Manufacturers of COVID-19 antigen tests told CBS News they are still supplying kits to the federal government because of awards from ASPR in recent years, including additional contracts last year with a dozen manufacturers.

Test kits will also be distributed “directly to health centers, long-term care facilities, food banks and other community centers,” an ASPR spokesperson said.

Of these brands, a handful were able to receive FDA “traditional marketing approval” to continue selling their tests post-pandemic while emergency authorities wane, including:

• CorDx sells two-packs for $14.99 that deliver results in 10 minutes
• iHealth Labs sells two-packs for $17.98 that deliver results in 15 minutes
• InBios International sells two-packs for $8.50 that deliver results in 20 minutes
• Quidel Corporation sells two-packs for $16.99 that deliver results in 10 minutes

Other tests remain subject to emergency use authorization, including OraSure's InteliSwab kit. This more “accessible” test will also be sent free this year by the Administration for Community Living to Americans who are blind or visually impaired.

Although they are less accurate than molecular tests, ASPR says its antigen tests this year will continue to be able to “detect the COVID-19 variants currently circulating.”