{"id":556391891017,"title":"On\/Go COVID Test Review: How Reliable Is It?","created_at":"2022-04-13T23:14:50-04:00","body_html":"\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\n{\n \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n \"@type\": \"Article\",\n \"headline\": \"On\/Go COVID Test Review: How Reliable Is It?\",\n \"keywords\": \"on go covid tests, on\/go covid test, on go at-home covid-19 rapid antigen self-test reviews, on\/go covid-19 antigen self-test, on go covid test, on go covid test review, on\/go covid test accuracy, on\/go covid test reviews, on go at-home covid-19 rapid antigen self-test stores, how to use on\/go covid test without app, on\/go covid test instructions, on go covid tests fda, on\/go covid test results, on go covid, on\/go at-home covid-19 rapid antigen self-test, on\/go covid-19 antigen rapid self-test kit, on\/go covid test kits, on\/go covid-19 antigen test, on go covid test directions, on\/go covid test false positive, on go covid test accuracy\",\n \"description\": \"Our MD and research team review On\/Go’s COVID test based on medical studies to determine if it should be the #1 go-to product for consumer COVID testing, as they claim, or if there are superior alternatives.\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/on-go-covid-test-review\",\n\"author\": [\n {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"Taylor Graber\",\n \"honorificSuffix\": \"M.D.\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/taylor-graber\",\n \"sameAs\": [\n \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/taylor-j-graber-md-81351642\/\",\n \"https:\/\/www.asapivs.com\/\"\n ],\n \"jobTitle\": \"Content Partner\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"medicine, health, anesthesiology, iv therapy, science, drugs, pharmaceutical, medical research, scientific research, medical journals, entrepreneurship, healthcare, orthopedic surgery, biomedical engineering\",\n \"alumniOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"EducationalOrganization\",\n \"name\": [\n \"University of California San Diego\",\n \"Arizona University\",\n \"University of Arizona College of Medicine\"\n ]\n },\n \"memberOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n }\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"Calloway Cook\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/calloway-cook\",\n \"sameAs\": \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/calloway-cook\/\",\n \"jobTitle\": \"President\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"entrepreneurship, dietary supplements, herbal supplements, eCommerce, medical research\",\n \"alumniOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"EducationalOrganization\",\n \"name\": \"S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University\"\n },\n \"memberOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n }\n }\n],\n\"editor\": {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"DJ Mazzoni\",\n \"honorificSuffix\": [\n \"M.S.\",\n \"R.D.\",\n \"C.D.N.\",\n \"C.S.C.S.\"\n ],\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/dj-mazzoni\",\n \"sameAs\": \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/dj-mazzoni-rd-cdn-cscs-00a33038\/\",\n \"jobTitle\": \"Medical Reviewer\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"exercise, drugs, pharmaceutical, health, workout, strength and conditioning, nutrition, dietetics, medicine, medical research, scientific research, scientific method, healthcare, patient care, wellness\",\n \"alumniOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"EducationalOrganization\",\n \"name\": [\n \"State University of New York College Oswego\",\n \"D’Youville College\"\n ]\n },\n \"memberOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n }\n},\n\"image\": {\n\"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\"url\": \"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/On_Go_Thumbnail.png?v=1649907150\",\n\"width\": \"2515\",\n\"height\": \"2515\"\n},\n\"citation\": [\n\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/lab\/resources\/antigen-tests-guidelines.html\", \n\"https:\/\/asm.org\/Articles\/2020\/August\/How-the-SARS-CoV-2-EUA-Antigen-Tests-Work\",\n\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/everlywell-review\",\n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8118154\/\",\n\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/medical-devices\/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices\/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests\",\n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8774565\/\",\n\"https:\/\/www.cvs.com\/minuteclinic\/covid-19-testing\",\n\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/coronavirus\/community-based-testing-sites\/index.html\",\n\"https:\/\/www.covid.gov\/tests\",\n\"https:\/\/www.letsongo.com\/contact-us\",\n\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/hipaa\/for-professionals\/privacy\/index.html\",\n\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/ihealth-covid-19-antigen-rapid-test-review\",\n\"https:\/\/www.letsongo.com\/\",\n\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/COVID-19-Self-Test-Authorized-Expiration-Extended\/dp\/B09FP6HWCV\/\",\n\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ofid\/article\/9\/3\/ofac022\/6516501\"\n],\n\"mentions\": [{\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"CDC\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"RT-PCR\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"sensitivity\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"specificity\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"CVS\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"HHS\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"BinaxNOW\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"iHealth\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"false negative\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"false positive\"\n }\n],\n\"datePublished\": \"2022-04-14\",\n\"copyrightHolder\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n},\n\"publisher\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/\",\n \"description\": \"Illuminate Labs is the most transparent supplement company in the U.S., and is a leading publisher of research-based health information.\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"supplements, science, nutrition, exercise, health, medication, pharmaceutical, wellness, diet, weight loss, medical research\",\n \"publishingPrinciples\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/editorial-guidelines\",\n \"memberOf\": [\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"U.S. Chamber of Commerce\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.uschamber.com\/\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Certified B Corp\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.bcorporation.net\/en-us\/\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Natural Products Association\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.npanational.org\/\"\n }\n ], \n \"logo\": {\n \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Illuminate_Labs_Favicon_48x48_7595c3cc-e27b-47b8-a4fe-edcc7ed9b29a.png?v=1666502785\", \n \"width\": 48,\n \"height\": 48\n},\n \"foundingDate\": \"2019-01-30\",\n \"sameAs\": [\n \"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/illuminatelabs\",\n \"https:\/\/twitter.com\/illuminatelabs\",\n \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/illuminate-labs-supplements\",\n \"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCpgSJAsIPb-fZ25djtTxBEA\"\n ]\n }\n}\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/On_Go_Review_Article_Header_Image_Optimized.png?v=1649906422\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDisclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice. This article is the opinion of the writer(s), and is presented for informational purposes only. We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to medical testing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dc\"\u003eO\u003c\/span\u003en\/Go is one of the medical device brands that’s been cleared for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. They claim that their On\/Go At-Home COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Self-Test is the “#1 ranked” at home antigen self test, but don’t provide any proof to back that claim.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn this article we’ll review On\/Go’s COVID test based on medical studies to determine if it should be the #1 go-to product for consumer COVID testing, or if there are superior alternatives.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat is Antigen Testing?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOn\/Go’s COVID test is an antigen test, which is one of several different types of medical tests that can detect COVID-19.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAntigen testing is performed to detect respiratory infections. It’s not only used to detect COVID-19, but also to detect other infections like the flu, histoplasmosis and pneumococcal pneumonia.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAccording to the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/lab\/resources\/antigen-tests-guidelines.html\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eCDC\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, antigen tests are most accurate when performed while the patient is symptomatic.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe way antigen tests actually work, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/asm.org\/Articles\/2020\/August\/How-the-SARS-CoV-2-EUA-Antigen-Tests-Work\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eaccording\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e to the American Society for Microbiology, is by detecting a specific type of protein unique to COVID-19 from patient swabs.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAntigen 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eIs On\/Go’s Test Accurate?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAntigen testing is less accurate than a different type of COVID testing called Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), as we outlined in our \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/everlywell-review\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eEverlywell reviews\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e article which analyzed another company selling COVID tests.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMedical research \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8118154\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ehas proven\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e that RT-PCR testing is more accurate. The linked study compared accuracy of antigen and RT-PCR testing in real-world medical settings, and found that RT-PCR results were more accurate.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe study authors noted that in asymptomatic patients especially, 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.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOn\/Go’s test is still likely to be accurate, and certainly better than nothing, but we don’t find it to be a good option compared with RT-PCR testing which is becoming the medical standard.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAll of the FDA-cleared antigen tests, which can be accessed \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/medical-devices\/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices\/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eat this resource\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, should provide results with similar accuracy since they use the same type of technology.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eHow Accurate is the On\/Go COVID Test?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOn\/Go hasn’t funded any medical studies proving the accuracy of their tests, but there is plenty of research on the accuracy of rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 generally.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eSince this is a well-established type of medical testing, and since On\/Go’s device has been cleared by the FDA in the U.S., we can assume that the accuracy of On\/Go tests is similar to the general accuracy of antigen tests.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe accuracy of COVID-19 antigen tests is measured in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Sensitivity measures the likelihood of an antigen test correctly diagnosing an infectious patient as infectious, while specificity measures the likelihood of an antigen test correctly diagnosing a non-infectious patient as non-infectious.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMedical research \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8774565\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ehas shown\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e antigen tests to have a sensitivity of 82% in symptomatic patients and 68% in asymptomatic patients. We don’t find these to be particularly impressive results. This means that the rapid antigen testing provides a false negative result to an infectious patient 32 times out of 100 on average.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis data demonstrates why frequent testing is so important for patients who only have access to rapid antigen tests for COVID-19. The probability of an asymptomatic patient receiving a false negative twice in a row is only 10%, rather than 32% for a single test.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eFree COVID Testing Options\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIf you can access more accurate COVID testing at a lower cost, it seems logical to do so.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe’ve already established that RT-PCR testing is more accurate than the antigen testing provided by On\/Go, and there are several resources available to U.S. patients for finding free RT-PCR COVID testing sites.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe pharmacy brand CVS has over 4,800 COVID-19 testing sites and all of them are free to the patient. Input your ZIP code and find the closest location to you: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.cvs.com\/minuteclinic\/covid-19-testing\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ehttps:\/\/www.cvs.com\/minuteclinic\/covid-19-testing\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe Department of Human Health Services (HHS) in the U.S. maintains an updated database of over 20,000 sites where patients can access free COVID testing, both RT-PCR and antigen testing depending on location. Resource here: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/coronavirus\/community-based-testing-sites\/index.html\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ehttps:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/coronavirus\/community-based-testing-sites\/index.html\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe U.S. government also will ship COVID tests to your door at no cost. Find more information here: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.covid.gov\/tests\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ehttps:\/\/www.covid.gov\/tests\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMany local pharmacies also offer walk-in COVID tests to patients at no cost, so we recommend calling local pharmacies and asking about free COVID testing options.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn some situations patients may find a need for a paid COVID testing service, but unless it’s more accurate it seems illogical to us in the vast majority of situations to pay for On\/Go’s products when there are so many free options, many of them likely to be more accurate.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eHow to Use the On\/Go COVID Test Without the App\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIt will be challenging to use On\/Go without downloading the app, because their standard practice is to publish results on the app.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eFor patients who refuse to download their app but wish to use their product, we recommend calling On\/Go and explaining the situation. If you paid for their service, and wish to receive test results over the phone, they might oblige your request. Their phone number is: 888-965-0301.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eYou can also ask them over the phone or at their \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.letsongo.com\/contact-us\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eContact form\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e if they will deliver results via email or physical mail.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBecause of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/hipaa\/for-professionals\/privacy\/index.html\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eHIPAA privacy rules\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e regarding patient data, On\/Go may not be able to provide the test results via any platform other than their app. Healthcare companies are often unable to email test results due to these laws.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOn\/Go COVID Test Instructions\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOn\/Go has a YouTube video with instructions on how to properly use their product, which is embedded below:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/E0_ZrsNZZ2Y\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis is a much more patient-friendly way to present instructions for medical testing than the documentation provided by another COVID test brand \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/ihealth-covid-19-antigen-rapid-test-review\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eiHealth\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, which we recently reviewed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat Stores Sell On\/Go COVID Tests?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOn\/Go’s test kits are for sale at Walgreens, Walmart and Kroger. They’re also for sale online at their website, Amazon, and GoPuff.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWebsite link:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.letsongo.com\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ehttps:\/\/www.letsongo.com\/\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAmazon link:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/COVID-19-Self-Test-Authorized-Expiration-Extended\/dp\/B09FP6HWCV\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ehttps:\/\/www.amazon.com\/COVID-19-Self-Test-Authorized-Expiration-Extended\/dp\/B09FP6HWCV\/\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAt the time of writing, the price on Amazon is cheaper than the price on their website.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe Amazon price is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e$21.87\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e while the website price is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e$24\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOn\/Go COVID tests are also available for sale at some third-party retailers, both online and in-store, but we recommend only purchasing from the retailers listed above because these are the listed authorized retailers on On\/Go’s website. This means that these are the only retailers you can guarantee you’re getting the correct product from.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eHow Should I Interpret On\/Go COVID Test Results?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBecause rapid antigen testing can provide false negative results nearly 35% of the time based on medical studies, we recommend that patients reach out to their doctor about potentially performing another test if they receive a negative result.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eFalse negatives can delay proper treatment and increase the risk of complications from infectious disease, so minimizing this risk with multiple tests upon receiving an initial negative result seems logical, but should be discussed with a healthcare professional.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAre False Positive Results a Risk With On\/Go?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eFalse positive results are less of a risk than false negative results, because of the way antigen tests work. It’s more likely for the test to fail to detect a specific protein, than for the test to incorrectly detect a specific protein when none exists.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe previously-linked medical review of the accuracy of rapid antigen tests detailed how the average specificity was well over 90%. This means that the percentage of patients who were not infected and were correctly identified as not infected was well over 90%. So the risk of a false positive may be around 5%.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOne of the ways to minimize the risk of a false positive test result is to take the test twice in a row. The chance of receiving a false positive result twice in a row is statistically less likely than once.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDoes the On\/Go COVID Test Detect Omicron?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe can’t find any medical research proving that the On\/Go COVID test can detect Omicron. It likely can in most cases, due to the protein being the same, but we cannot conclusively say until it’s been proven in medical studies.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAbbott’s BinaxNOW test \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ofid\/article\/9\/3\/ofac022\/6516501\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ehas been proven\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e in one medical trial to effectively detect the Omicron variant, so that product may be a superior option for patients who believe they’ve been exposed to Omicron.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAre On\/Go COVID Tests FDA Approved?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eNo. The FDA has issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to On\/Go due to the public risk of the COVID-19 pandemic, but this product has not completed the formal FDA approval process.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThere are currently no rapid antigen tests that are approved by the FDA.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eConclusion\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOn\/Go sells a COVID-19 testing device which may be useful for patients who need results quickly, but the type of testing that the product is based on is less accurate than RT-PCR tests.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe would recommend that patients speak to their doctor about RT-PCR testing if they’re willing to wait several days to get results.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThere are many free COVID testing options for patients in the U.S., and we would recommend any free option over paying for On\/Go’s product.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAbbott’s BinaxNOW testing product may be a better option for patients exposed to the Omicron variant, because it’s been proven in medical research to be effective at detecting that variant, but otherwise we see no major differences between the two tests.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThere seems to be good logic behind completing more than one rapid antigen test in the event of a negative result, because false negative rates are relatively high with rapid antigen testing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":49281925193,"author":"Calloway Cook","user_id":26601750601,"published_at":"2022-04-14T10:09:28-04:00","updated_at":"2022-12-18T19:53:50-05:00","summary_html":"We review On\/Go’s COVID test based on medical studies to determine if it should be the #1 go-to product for consumer COVID testing, as they claim, or if there are superior alternatives.","template_suffix":"","handle":"on-go-covid-test-review","tags":"_related:COVID-19, _related:lab-tests"}

On/Go COVID Test Review: How Reliable Is It?

On/Go COVID Test Review: How Reliable Is It?


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

On/Go is one of the medical device brands that’s been cleared for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. They claim that their On/Go At-Home COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Self-Test is the “#1 ranked” at home antigen self test, but don’t provide any proof to back that claim.

In this article we’ll review On/Go’s COVID test based on medical studies to determine if it should be the #1 go-to product for consumer COVID testing, or if there are superior alternatives.

What is Antigen Testing?

On/Go’s COVID test is an antigen test, which is one of several different types of medical tests that can detect COVID-19.

Antigen testing is performed to detect respiratory infections. It’s not only used to detect COVID-19, but also to detect other infections like the flu, histoplasmosis and pneumococcal pneumonia.

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.

Is On/Go’s Test Accurate?

Antigen testing is less accurate than a different type of COVID testing called Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), as we outlined in our Everlywell reviews article which analyzed another company selling COVID tests.

Medical research has proven that RT-PCR testing is more accurate. The linked study compared accuracy of antigen and RT-PCR testing in real-world medical settings, and found that RT-PCR results were more accurate.

The study authors noted that in asymptomatic patients especially, 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.”

On/Go’s test is still likely to be accurate, and certainly better than nothing, but we don’t find it to be a good option compared with RT-PCR testing which is becoming the medical standard.

All of the FDA-cleared antigen tests, which can be accessed at this resource, should provide results with similar accuracy since they use the same type of technology.

How Accurate is the On/Go COVID Test?

On/Go hasn’t funded any medical studies proving the accuracy of their tests, but there is plenty of research on the accuracy of rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 generally.

Since this is a well-established type of medical testing, and since On/Go’s device has been cleared by the FDA in the U.S., we can assume that the accuracy of On/Go tests is similar to the general accuracy of antigen tests.

The accuracy of COVID-19 antigen tests is measured in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Sensitivity measures the likelihood of an antigen test correctly diagnosing an infectious patient as infectious, while specificity measures the likelihood of an antigen test correctly diagnosing a non-infectious patient as non-infectious.

Medical research has shown antigen tests to have a sensitivity of 82% in symptomatic patients and 68% in asymptomatic patients. We don’t find these to be particularly impressive results. This means that the rapid antigen testing provides a false negative result to an infectious patient 32 times out of 100 on average.

This data demonstrates why frequent testing is so important for patients who only have access to rapid antigen tests for COVID-19. The probability of an asymptomatic patient receiving a false negative twice in a row is only 10%, rather than 32% for a single test.

Free COVID Testing Options

If you can access more accurate COVID testing at a lower cost, it seems logical to do so.

We’ve already established that RT-PCR testing is more accurate than the antigen testing provided by On/Go, and there are several resources available to U.S. patients for finding free RT-PCR COVID testing sites.

The pharmacy brand CVS has over 4,800 COVID-19 testing sites and all of them are free to the patient. 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) in the U.S. maintains an updated database of over 20,000 sites where patients can access free COVID testing, both RT-PCR and antigen testing depending on location. Resource here: https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/community-based-testing-sites/index.html

The U.S. government also will ship COVID tests to your door at no cost. Find more information here: https://www.covid.gov/tests

Many local pharmacies also offer walk-in COVID tests to patients at no cost, so we recommend calling local pharmacies and asking about free COVID testing options.

In some situations patients may find a need for a paid COVID testing service, but unless it’s more accurate it seems illogical to us in the vast majority of situations to pay for On/Go’s products when there are so many free options, many of them likely to be more accurate.

How to Use the On/Go COVID Test Without the App

It will be challenging to use On/Go without downloading the app, because their standard practice is to publish results on the app.

For patients who refuse to download their app but wish to use their product, we recommend calling On/Go and explaining the situation. If you paid for their service, and wish to receive test results over the phone, they might oblige your request. Their phone number is: 888-965-0301.

You can also ask them over the phone or at their Contact form if they will deliver results via email or physical mail.

Because of HIPAA privacy rules regarding patient data, On/Go may not be able to provide the test results via any platform other than their app. Healthcare companies are often unable to email test results due to these laws.

On/Go COVID Test Instructions

On/Go has a YouTube video with instructions on how to properly use their product, which is embedded below:

This is a much more patient-friendly way to present instructions for medical testing than the documentation provided by another COVID test brand iHealth, which we recently reviewed.

What Stores Sell On/Go COVID Tests?

On/Go’s test kits are for sale at Walgreens, Walmart and Kroger. They’re also for sale online at their website, Amazon, and GoPuff.

Website link: https://www.letsongo.com/

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/COVID-19-Self-Test-Authorized-Expiration-Extended/dp/B09FP6HWCV/

At the time of writing, the price on Amazon is cheaper than the price on their website.

The Amazon price is $21.87 while the website price is $24.

On/Go COVID tests are also available for sale at some third-party retailers, both online and in-store, but we recommend only purchasing from the retailers listed above because these are the listed authorized retailers on On/Go’s website. This means that these are the only retailers you can guarantee you’re getting the correct product from.

How Should I Interpret On/Go COVID Test Results?

Because rapid antigen testing can provide false negative results nearly 35% of the time based on medical studies, we recommend that patients reach out to their doctor about potentially performing another test if they receive a negative result.

False negatives can delay proper treatment and increase the risk of complications from infectious disease, so minimizing this risk with multiple tests upon receiving an initial negative result seems logical, but should be discussed with a healthcare professional.

Are False Positive Results a Risk With On/Go?

False positive results are less of a risk than false negative results, because of the way antigen tests work. It’s more likely for the test to fail to detect a specific protein, than for the test to incorrectly detect a specific protein when none exists.

The previously-linked medical review of the accuracy of rapid antigen tests detailed how the average specificity was well over 90%. This means that the percentage of patients who were not infected and were correctly identified as not infected was well over 90%. So the risk of a false positive may be around 5%.

One of the ways to minimize the risk of a false positive test result is to take the test twice in a row. The chance of receiving a false positive result twice in a row is statistically less likely than once.

Does the On/Go COVID Test Detect Omicron?

We can’t find any medical research proving that the On/Go COVID test can detect Omicron. It likely can in most cases, due to the protein being the same, but we cannot conclusively say until it’s been proven in medical studies.

Abbott’s BinaxNOW test has been proven in one medical trial to effectively detect the Omicron variant, so that product may be a superior option for patients who believe they’ve been exposed to Omicron.

Are On/Go COVID Tests FDA Approved?

No. The FDA has issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to On/Go due to the public risk of the COVID-19 pandemic, but this product has not completed the formal FDA approval process.

There are currently no rapid antigen tests that are approved by the FDA.

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Conclusion

On/Go sells a COVID-19 testing device which may be useful for patients who need results quickly, but the type of testing that the product is based on is less accurate than RT-PCR tests.

We would recommend that patients speak to their doctor about RT-PCR testing if they’re willing to wait several days to get results.

There are many free COVID testing options for patients in the U.S., and we would recommend any free option over paying for On/Go’s product.

Abbott’s BinaxNOW testing product may be a better option for patients exposed to the Omicron variant, because it’s been proven in medical research to be effective at detecting that variant, but otherwise we see no major differences between the two tests.

There seems to be good logic behind completing more than one rapid antigen test in the event of a negative result, because false negative rates are relatively high with rapid antigen testing.




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