Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to medical testing.

iHealth is a healthcare brand that sells a COVID test called iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test. The brand claims that their test is CDC-compliant, and that it delivers results in only 15 minutes.

But what type of COVID test is iHealth's test, and is it actually accurate? How does the accuracy of iHealth's COVID test compare to the accuracy of other popular COVID tests? Are there free COVID testing options? And does iHealth's test expire?

In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we explain what type of technology the iHealth test relies on and how its accuracy compares to other types of COVID tests.

We'll also explain how patients can access free COVID testing, explain how iHealth's device is used, document whether or not it's FDA-approved and share our honest experience purchasing and testing this device.

Key takeaways:

• iHealth's COVID test isn't as accurate as RT-PCR testing
• Free COVID tests may be available depending on location
• iHealth may be a good option for patients who prioritize convenience

We Tested iHealth COVID Test

As one of the authors of this article (Calloway), I wanted to try iHealth's COVID test myself to share my thoughts on its accuracy and the overall experience.

I purchased it on Amazon and tried it on an evening where I was feeling sick.

The setup was pretty straightforward, as were the instructions:

I used the swap, dropped the sample material in the reservoir of the test kit, and waited 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, my test was found to be negative:

I much prefer the convenience of visiting a doctor's office or hospital and not having to figure out all of the testing steps myself, so I personally wouldn't use this product again.

I much preferred this test setup to the On/Go COVID Test, which we also have reviewed and tested. The iHealth setup was much more intuitive to me.

Overall, I would rate iHealth COVID Test 6/10.

Is iHealth’s COVID Test Accurate?

iHealth's COVID test relies on a technology called antigen testing (which we'll explain in more detail in the next section), and this type of COVID test may be less accurate than a different type of COVID test called reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

A 2021 medical review compared the effectiveness of different types of COVID tests, and found RT-PCR testing to be the most accurate.

In asymptomatic patients, the antigen test only correctly identified 60.5% of those with COVID compared to the RT-PCR results.

The study authors noted that in asymptomatic patients, antigen testing was significantly less accurate, leading them to conclude that RT-PCR tests should be the default option when a patient is suspected to have COVID-19: “The lower sensitivity of antigen tests compared with RT-PCR testing supports the strategy of using a more sensitive NAAT test if there is high clinical suspicion for COVID-19.”

It's worth noting that the test kit used in the study was not manufactured by iHealth, but both test kits use the same technology (antigen testing) so we believe the results are broadly applicable.

Overall, we consider iHealth's COVID test to be somewhat accurate, and potentially useful for determining COVID status, but the technology used seems clearly inferior to RT-PCR testing.

But are false positive results a real risk with iHealth's device? We'll review in the next section.

Are False Positives a Real Risk?

Given the potentially less accurate results from antigen testing, consumers are often curious about whether false positive test results are a legitimate concern.

In our opinion, the risk of false negatives is a bigger issue than false positives in regard to iHealth's test.

The reason is two-fold.

First, a false negative result can risk the health of the patient. A 2020 medical review documented that early detection improves survival rates from COVID, and a patient who receives a false negative result may delay further testing until symptoms become more apparent.

Second, antigen testing appears to be much more accurate at detecting patients without COVID than patients with COVID.

The medical review we cited in the accuracy section documents that antigen testing showed a false negative result 39.5% of the time in asymptomatic patients with COVID (compared to RT-PCR), but showed a false positive result only 0.5% of the time in patients without COVID.

One way to reduce the risk of false negative rates is to complete multiple rounds of testing. If a COVID test provides a false negative result 40% of the time, the chance it provides a false negative result twice in a row is only 16%.

Testing three times would decrease that potential false negative percentage to 6.4%.

When Do iHealth's COVID Tests Expire?

In January of 2023, the FDA granted iHealth a 12-to-15 month extension on the shelf life of their COVID tests.

The specific expiration date varies by lot.

iHealth customers can visit this resource page on the brand's website to check the expiration date for their specific lot.

The resource page linked above also states that iHealth intends to continually apply for shelf-life extensions from the FDA based on results from their ongoing stability testing, so customers should be sure to check both for any FDA notices or the expiration on the above-linked page before throwing out any old tests, because the expiration date may be pushed back.

How Does Antigen Testing Work?

Antigen testing is a type of medical testing commonly performed to detect respiratory infections. It’s not only used to detect COVID-19, but also to detect the common flu.

According to the CDC, antigen tests are most accurate when performed while the patient is symptomatic.

The way antigen tests actually work, according to the American Society for Microbiology, is by detecting a specific type of protein unique to COVID-19 from patient swabs.

Antigen tests provide results back to the patient quickly; typically in under an hour and often in under 30 minutes. This is one of their advantages compared to other types of infection testing.

Free COVID Testing Options

Patients should be aware that a number of free COVID testing resources are available throughout the US.

RT-PCR testing appears to be more accurate than antigen testing based on our review of clinical data, and there are several resources available to US patients for finding free RT-PCR COVID testing sites.

The pharmacy brand CVS has over 1,500 COVID-19 testing sites and testing may be free depending on insurance and location. Input your ZIP code and find the closest location to you: https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing

The Department of Human Health Services (HHS) maintains an updated database of over 20,000 sites where patients can access free or discounted COVID testing, both RT-PCR and antigen testing depending on location: https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/community-based-testing-sites/index.html

The US government also will ship COVID tests to your door at no cost, and according to this government resource, every US household is eligible for four test kits at no cost: https://www.covid.gov/tests

How to Properly Use iHealth COVID Test

iHealth has a instruction manual for their COVID test which isn’t very easily accessible or well-defined on their site.

To access the test instructions, individuals need to visit the brand's test details page, and scroll down to the “Downloadable Resources” header.

The test instructions can be downloaded by clicking on the “Quick Start Guide for Consumers” link.

We don’t understand why the brand titles product instructions “Quick Start Guide for Consumers” rather than “Instructions for Use” which would be much more clear.

Here's a summary of the instructions:

1. Prepare materials
2. Collect sample
3. Process sample
4. Add sample
5. Wait 15 minutes
6. Read result
7. Test result explanation
8. Dispose the test kit

The entire process should take under 30 minutes.

The brand also has an instructional video on YouTube with over 3 million views:

Are iHealth COVID Tests FDA-Approved?

The FDA has issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to iHealth due to the public risk of the COVID-19 pandemic, but this product has not completed the formal FDA approval process, as documented by the FDA.

As the linked document published by the FDA states, the iHealth test “is not yet approved or cleared by the United States FDA.”

At the time of updating this article, no rapid antigen tests are currently approved by the FDA.

Interested patients can search for FDA-approved medical devices at this resource page maintained by the FDA.

iHealth COVID Test Pros and Cons

Here are the pros and cons of iHealth's COVID test in our opinion:

Pros:

• Rapid results
• Can order online and use in the safety and convenience of the home
• Highly accurate at detecting those without COVID
• FDA-cleared
• Cheap
• Easy-to-use

Cons:

• False negative results may be a real risk
• Not FDA-approved
• May be less accurate than RT-PCR testing
• Requires out-of-pocket payment
• Brand fails to respond to BBB customer complaints

Conclusion

iHealth's COVID test may be a good option for those who want to take a test in the convenience of their home.

It's based on a technology called antigen testing, which is highly accurate for detecting negative COVID states but appears to be less accurate for detecting positive COVID states.

A different type of COVID testing technology called RT-PCR appears to be more accurate based on medical research, and this is the type of test that we'd recommend patients speak with their doctor about.

There are a number of free and reduced-price COVID testing options that US patients can access, including a government resource that ships free tests right to your door.

The expiration date of iHealth COVID tests depends on the lot, so patients who purchased this test should use the expiration date checker that we linked to in this article to ensure their product lot hasn't expired (which would potentially increase the risk of false results).