This At-Home COVID Test Purportedly Detects the Omicron Variant

This might be the perfect quick and accurate test for holiday travelers.

Courtesy of Cue Health
Courtesy of Cue Health

Testing for COVID-19 looks so different than it did a year ago. And with the Omicron variant on the rise, in the middle of 2021 holiday travel, a quick and convenient testing option could literally save lives.

Enter Cue Health, which offers FDA-authorized testing that promises users results within 20 minutes. The company also claims that its tests are 97.8% accurate and can detect the COVID-19 Omicron variant.

Ayub Khattak, Cue Health's CEO, said in a statement, "Our molecular test is backed by the science and technology necessary to detect emerging variants, including omicron, enabling individuals and healthcare practitioners to make better-informed decisions." Earlier this month, the CDC approved at-home tests as valid documentation to present a negative test result, so Cue Health might be onto something if you can afford it.

There are two ordering options. The first is the Cue+ Essential membership for $49.99. Users can access lab-quality results and around-the-clock virtual care through the Cue Health App, and the membership comes with up to 10 COVID-19 tests, the certified results of which can be used for travel verification. Otherwise, consumers can purchase the kit just once to get a three-pack of tests for $225.

Want more Thrillist? Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat.

Janae Price is a News Staff Writer at Thrillist. She's a native New Yorker and loves all things cheese, K-pop, and culture. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @janae_larie.