Powerball Jackpot Up to $835 Million After Months Without a Big Winner

DES MOINES, Iowa — An estimated $850 million Powerball jackpot will be up for grabs Wednesday night for players willing to risk a couple dollars and brave incredibly long odds.

The jackpot is the world’s ninth-largest lottery prize of all time, behind earlier prizes in the Powerball and Mega Millions games that all topped $1 billion.

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The jackpot has grown so large because there have been 29 consecutive drawings without a big winner, dating back to July 19. Powerball’s terrible odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes becoming ever larger as they repeatedly roll over when no one wins.

The largest jackpot was a $2.04 billion Powerball prize hit by a player in California in November 2022.

In most states, a Powerball ticket costs $2 and players can select their own numbers or leave that task to a computer.

The $850 million jackpot is for a sole winner who opts for payment through an annuity, doled out over 30 years. Winners almost always take the cash option, which for Wednesday night’s drawing would be an estimated $397.4 million.

Those winnings would be subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings.

Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

source https://time.com/6317915/powerball-jackpot-835-million/

The Kevin James Meme That’s Taking Over the Internet

There’s no rhyme or reason as to why so much of what we consume on the internet becomes popular. The internet takes hold of something—thanks to a shared whim or collective need for something meaningless over which to seek connection—and a viral meme is born. In today’s edition: photos of Kevin James.

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Several different photos of James have been making the rounds on X over the past few days, many of them promotional shots for his turn-of-the-millennium sitcom The King of Queens. But the one that’s getting the most traction is a photo of him with his hands in his pocket and a cringey-mischievous smirk painted across his face, his legs askew—a la Lin-Manuel Miranda. Why? One X user commented on a post asking that same exact question with the simple explanation, “We’re just in a silly goofy mood.”

we’re just in a silly goofy mood

— nas (@nascakess) September 26, 2023

As with any viral meme, the origins are impossible to trace with certainty, but the website KnowYourMeme.com says that the trend seems to have originated last week. Users began posting a 1998 photo of James on the set of The King of Queens all over social media, with an array of comical captions. One of the first people to post the photo was a user named @champagneanyone, on Sept. 21, with the caption, “me after [one] double rum and diet” accompanied by this random photo of James. It received over 24,000 likes and seems to have launched a meme format with infinite possibilities.

me after 1 double rum and diet pic.twitter.com/zfJFNCuCbT

— andy from 5 to 7 (@ChampagneAnyone) September 22, 2023

People started using the photo and adding captions that describe scenarios that match the comedian’s stance and facial expression.

“yo my homie thinks you cute”

the homie: pic.twitter.com/DGLMiqvbvG

— juju 💰 (@ayeejuju) September 24, 2023

The NFL cameraman abandoning every other angle to hyperfixate on Taylor Swift in the Kelce suite: pic.twitter.com/BUuUIIRBI9

— Sophie Ross (@SophRossss) September 24, 2023

“I’ll take a shot if you take a shot”

Me: pic.twitter.com/Q6FEYuiWa2

— 𝓝 (@elgueroatl) September 24, 2023

Then, social media users started finding different photos of James from the sitcom’s press shoots. “They just had Kevin James doing anything for those King of Queens press shoots,” one person posted on X with photos of James coming out of a steaming sewer and another in which he’s making that same mischievous smirking face as he holds onto a scaffolding beam.

they just had kevin james doing anything for those king of queens press shoots pic.twitter.com/8YjnDHvjkN

— luca (@LucaGuadagnegro) September 25, 2023

she was the baddest, he was the realest pic.twitter.com/7YPzq9R57n

— Al Shipley (@alshipley) September 25, 2023

The trend took a wholesome turn when Ben Stiller, whose late father Jerry Stiller played James’ character’s father-in-law in the show, posted on X to let the cast know how much his dad enjoyed their company. “Chiming in here to say how much my Dad loved working with everyone on this show and how meaningful all those friendships were and are,” Stiller wrote. Leah Remini, who played James’ wife, also posted a clip from the show.

Chiming in here to say how much my Dad loved working with everyone on this show and how meaningful all those friendships were and are. #KingOfQueens @LeahRemini @KevinJames @pattonoswalt https://t.co/ynldXDPT9L

— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) September 22, 2023

The life cycle of a trend on social media is unpredictable, and this one may not be with us for long. But we’re happy for this random, silly harmless one to stick around.

source https://time.com/6317579/kevin-james-meme/

As Menendez Faces Calls to Resign, Some Notable Democrats Don’t Join In

Three days after federal prosecutors alleged that he and his wife accepted money, gold bars, and a luxury convertible in exchange for political favors, a defiant Sen. Bob Menendez declared that he would be exonerated and rejected calls from a growing number of fellow Democrats that he resign.

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“To those who have rushed to judgment, you have done so based on a limited set of facts framed by the prosecution as salacious as possible,” the New Jersey Democrat said at a news conference. “Remember, prosecutors get it wrong sometimes. Sadly, I know that.” 

The indictment, unsealed on Friday, accused Menendez of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for using his political influence in support of several businessmen and the Egyptian government. It quickly drew attention for its eye-popping details, including images of cash-stuffed envelopes in the pockets of jackets with Menendez’s on them. Investigators say they discovered at least $100,000 in gold bars in his home and that his internet history showed he had searched the value of a “kilo of gold” on Google.

The list of Democrats who have called on Menendez to step down since Friday include Gov. Phil Murphy, Reps. Mikie Sherrill, Bill Pascrell, Frank Pallone, Donald Norcross, and Josh Gottheimer, as well as Rep. Andy Kim, who has already announced he will challenge Menendez. According to the New Jersey Globe, several of the other members and the state’s first lady, Tammy Murphy, are considered possible successors as well.

But as the calls for Menendez to leave the Senate seat he’s held for 17 years grow louder, those who have yet to do so are becoming more notable. They include his fellow New Jersey Democrat, Senator Cory Booker, as well as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin.

“Bob Menendez has been a dedicated public servant and is always fighting hard for the people of New Jersey,” Schumer wrote in a statement Friday. “He has a right to due process and a fair trial.” Schumer added that Menendez had “rightly” opted to step down from his powerful position as chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee.

On Saturday, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania became the first Democratic senator to call for Menendez’s resignation. “He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence under our system, but he is not entitled to continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations,” Fetterman said in a statement.

The next day, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York echoed that sentiment. “The situation is quite unfortunate, but I do believe that it is in the best interest for Senator Menendez to resign in this moment,” she said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday.” 

Other Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Adam Schiff of California, Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, and former Senator Doug Jones of Alabama have called for Menendez’s resignation as well.

On Monday, Menendez suggested that the push for him to step down wasn’t really about the charges against him.

“Some of the people calling for my resignation for political reasons say I have lost the trust of the people of New Jersey,” Menendez said. “They couldn’t be more wrong.”

Nonetheless, the group of supporters that stood behind Menendez on Monday did not include any prominent Democrats. After defending his record and integrity in both English and Spanish, Menendez left the room without taking questions.

source https://time.com/6317285/senator-menendez-new-jersey-resign-cory-booker/

What a Doctor Is Seeing In COVID-19 Today

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 have been on the rise since the beginning of July. Then came the identification of the heavily mutated and possibly highly-transmissible BA.2.86 variant by the global surveillance network. Such a variant has the potential to evade our vaccine- and infection-induced antibodies and cause a surge of seasonal hospitalizations. The recommendation by the FDA’s VRBPAC in June that the Fall updated vaccine be composed of an XBB-lineage of the Omicron variant appeared to be at risk. There was mounting concern we be faced with a similar situation from last year where the virus had already mutated well beyond the BA.4/5-bivalent vaccines by the time they were rolled out.

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But the landscape of the pandemic—especially the clinical disease caused by SARS-CoV-2—has significantly changed. On the front lines of the emergency department (ED), we are seeing a different virus. This is likely a combination of both high levels of population hybrid immunity and evolution of the virus itself to favor infection of the upper airway and cause less severe disease.

The CDC’s recent decision to universally recommend vaccines for everyone, while falling short of a much-needed targeted recommendation for high-risk groups, paves the way for equity of access and insurance coverage for Americans needing to top up their protection against infection. And recent preliminary studies from multiple labs on BA.2.86 has actually been reassuring.

Read More: Pandemics Don’t End. They Echo.

New hospital admissions had increased nationally by 9% in the first week of September and have been on an upward trajectory since the beginning of July driven by EG.5, FL.1.5.1, and the XBB subvariants. At 16,000 current hospitalizations, this is still far below the Omicron peak of 145,000 hospitalizations that overwhelmed our health care system in January 2022.

Hospitalizations are highest in those patients 70 and older. Compared to earlier in the pandemic when our ED and hospitals were overrun with patients suffering from hypoxia and viral pneumonia requiring various oxygen modalities, proning techniques, and ventilators—elderly patients are lately presenting to my ED with weakness, fatigue, dehydration, and electrolyte abnormalities. Even though these symptoms are caused by covid infection, they are less staff- and resource-intensive compared to years past. Management of such illness is less challenging, and patients are discharged home after a few days.

Immunologically, this is not surprising that older Americans are becoming sick with COVID as head into the fall. It’s been a year or more since many of them last had a COVID-19 infection or a vaccine dose. In fact, only 46.5% of those 75 and older ever received the most recent bivalent booster.

Even though protection against severe disease remains robust, protection against any infection has most certainly waned. For healthy individuals under 65 years, current variants are expressing a predilection for the upper respiratory tract and follow a particular pattern. Symptoms typically start with a sore throat, and progress to headache, rhinorrhea, and nasal congestion.

This tracks with what we observed from Omicron in multiple lab studies since early 2022. Omicron family variants are approximately 10-times less efficient than the Delta variants at replicating in lung tissue and mutations favor preference for upper airway tissue.

A UNIVERSAL RECOMMENDATION

Recently the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunizations Practice (ACIP) voted to approve the updated XBB.1.5 monovalent vaccine for everyone 6 months and older. ACIP members were likely convinced mostly by data that a universal recommendation will prevent 400,000 hospitalizations and 40,000 deaths due to COVID-19 infection.

Read More: These Are the Vaccines You Should Get

As this is the first vaccine rollout since the end of the pandemic emergency that is not financed by the federal government, a universal recommendation also paves the way for insurance coverage. For those without insurance, the CDC announced its Bridge Access Program for the 25-30 million Americans without insurance.

Some ACIP members and other front-line physicians like myself would still like to see the CDC more strongly advocate for vaccination in high-risk groups who stand to benefit the most from updated protection. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation—the United Kingdom’s version of our ACIP—outlined such a targeted, evidence-based strategy focused on adults 65 and older and those in care homes, frontline health care staff, and those 6 months–64 years with underlying medical problems, such as chronic kidney and lung disease, and those who are immune-compromised, from chemotherapy treatment, for example. The Infectious Diseases Society of America echoed this support for a targeted strategy in its own response to the CDC decision—that certain high-risk groups are at increased risk of severe disease and should be prioritized for vaccination this fall.

Even for healthy individuals under 65, the XBB.1.5 monovalent updated vaccine is a good match for currently circulating variants and enables a top up of protection against any infection. While on the decline, the XBB family subvariants still comprises a large percentage of new infections. In addition, the widespread EG.5 variant is different from XBB.1.5 by just two new mutations, at F456L and Q52H; suggesting the updated vaccine will work well against it. And a switch back to a monovalent formulation ensures that those vaccinated receive a full undiluted dose against the most prevalent variants.

ACIP members were also likely reassured by recent preliminary pseudovirus and sera neutralization studies from four laboratories—two in the U.S. and in Sweden and China—demonstrating that BA.2.86 is likely 1) not more immune evasive than previous variants and 2) not very efficient at infecting our cells.

Most importantly, the sera of those previously infected with XBB was able to generate a significant response against BA.2.86 portending that the updated XBB-targeted vaccine will maintain its protection if BA.2.86 takes hold as the fall and winter unfolds. In the only human clinical trials to date, Moderna announced its XBB.1.5 vaccine generated an 8.7-11-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies against BA.2.86, EG.5 and FL.1.5.1 variants.

source https://time.com/6317170/covid-19-new-variant-vaccine-essay/

Screenwriters Have Reached a Tentative Deal to End the Strike. Here’s What Happens Next With the WGA and SAG

After five grueling days of negotiation, the screenwriters in the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have reached a tentative agreement with the studios and streamers, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), to end a strike that began in May. The key word here is tentative: Picketing has paused, but writers are still technically on strike until the deal is ratified.

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While we won’t see the fine print of the contract until the final language is agreed upon by both sides, the WGA did craft a residual formula for streamers—like Netflix, Max, Hulu, and Prime Video—in which TV shows and movies that reach certain performance benchmarks are essentially given bonuses. And a formula was created in which the number of episodes in a season will determine, on a sliding scale, how many writers must be hired to work on a show. Using AI to generate content—a major concern for both writers and actors—seemed to be a sticking point, and were among the last details debated before bargaining ended.

“We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional—with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership,” the WGA wrote in an email to its members. “What we have won in this contract—most particularly, everything we have gained since May 2nd—is due to the willingness of this membership to exercise its power, to demonstrate its solidarity, to walk side-by-side, to endure the pain and uncertainty of the past 146 days.”

What does a tentative agreement mean for screenwriters?

Although picketing has been suspended, the strike itself is still in effect, meaning that screenwriters will not yet be returning to work. Once the nitty-gritty language in the contract is finalized, the WGA negotiating committee—the people who were actually at the table with the AMPTP—will vote. That will determine whether the contract will go to a vote by the leaders of the WGA.

If both of those votes go through, then the roughly 11,000 members of the WGA will also decide whether or not to accept the terms. If everyone agrees to the new contract, it will last for three years, until it’s once again up for reapproval.

“To be clear, no one is to return to work until specifically authorized to by the Guild,” the WGA wrote in its statement. “We are still on strike until then. But we are, as of today, suspending WGA picketing. Instead, if you are able, we encourage you to join the SAG-AFTRA picket lines this week.”

What does this mean for the SAG strike?

Of course, even if the writers return, there won’t be anyone to perform their work until the actors’ strike, by those in the Screen Actors Guild—American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), also ends. Nor will actors be able to promote their work, a concern that has prompted studios and streamers to push back some releases.

“SAG-AFTRA congratulates the WGA on reaching a tentative agreement with the AMPTP after 146 days of incredible strength, resiliency, and solidarity on the picket lines,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement. “Since the day the WGA strike began, SAG-AFTRA members have stood alongside the writers on the picket lines. We remain on strike in our TV/Theatrical contract and continue to urge the studio and streamer CEOs and the AMPTP to return to the table and make the fair deal that our members deserve and demand.”

The streaming residual formula that the WGA accomplished should help lay the groundwork for a similar revenue-based residual system for SAG-AFTRA, something the latter has been striking for. For now, it seems likely that the coming end of the WGA strike may convince studios and streamers to move more quickly with SAG-AFTRA as well.

source https://time.com/6317199/wga-strike-tentative-agreement/

Swifties Are Studying Up on Football After Taylor Swift Went to the Chiefs Game

For people who have never watched football before, the rules admittedly can be a little confusing. But today, a whole new population of prospective fans are asking the necessary questions in order to get a handle on the sport. Sunday night, Swifties decided it was time to figure out how the game works after spotting Taylor Swift at the Kansas City Chiefs game. Swift was watching in tight end Travis Kelce’s family box, alongside his mother, following recent reports of the pair spending time together. On X, Swifties started helping each other understand how the game is played for future reference, in case Swift starts attending more regularly between her Eras Tour dates and her fans, in turn, start following along to catch a glimpse of the pop star.

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One Swiftie uploaded a post that broke the game into the simplest possible terms. Many of the replies were from confused Swifties asking questions about the sport. “Okay, so what’s a down?” one person asked. Users asked questions like, “What’s a field goal” and “Do you throw the ball or run with it?”

FOOTBALL EXPLAINER FOR THOSE CONFUSED

you have 4 tries (downs) to go 10 yards, if you do you keep the ball and the cycle repeats, and if you don’t the other team gets it

you can score touchdowns for 6 points or kick a field goal for 3

thats basically all you need to know

— shannon (is celebrating 1989 tv! 🩵) (@holygroundsound) September 24, 2023

Read more: The Staggering Economic Impact of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour

The original poster added a comment to the thread: “I regret to inform everyone who is giggling at this that we have been made to watch football for Taylor like 4 times this year, and I tweet this every time.” They also clarified that, “We are simply watching for Taylor Swift’s lil reactions. No one who doesn’t plan on watching regularly needed to know any of that other stuff.”

“you forgot xyz” baby we are simply watching for taylor swift’s lil reactions no one who doesn’t plan on watching regularly needed to know any of that other stuff 😭

— shannon (is celebrating 1989 tv! 🩵) (@holygroundsound) September 25, 2023

we are living in a world where travis kelce gets a TD and the camera pans to taylor swift screaming lets fucking go . pic.twitter.com/fi3LiAUZ4B

— ella 🫧 (@nhlella) September 24, 2023

Fans are also calling this new period in her romantic history the “American Revolution” because the last person Swift was allegedly romantically involved with was The 1975’s Matty Healy. Healy is from the U.K., whereas Kelce was born and raised in Ohio. “No more ugly British men… Truly, this is the American Revolution.”

“the american revolution” (via @emrofort) pic.twitter.com/HxmOe3V5xn

— Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) September 24, 2023

Other Swifties are questioning their relationship to the sport now that Swift might be attending more games. “Do I, a Taylor Swift fan, have to care about football now?” one person posted on X. Someone else seemingly coined the hashtag #FootballTaylorsVersion, in reference to the singer-songwriter’s project of rerecording her old albums to regain the master rights, and calling them all “Taylor’s Version.”

Do I, a Taylor Swift fan, have to care about football now?

— Alex Goldschmidt (@alexandergold) September 24, 2023

Someone: do you like football?

Me: only if it’s #FootballTaylorsVersion pic.twitter.com/cB0ncJJnrd

— aims 🦋 IS SEEING TAYLOR SWIFT (@shimmeringtay13) September 25, 2023

In July, the Chiefs tight end said on his podcast that he had attempted to give Swift his phone number on a friendship bracelet (a common accessory brought to her Eras Tour shows) but wasn’t able to. The Messenger reported earlier in September that the two were seen “hanging out” and when Kelce appeared on The Pat McAfee Show podcast, he invited Swift to come watch one of his games. According to PEOPLE, a source said that she is “very focused on work right now and hanging out with her girlfriends.” (She does, after all, have more than 80 shows around the world on a tour that is slated to run through November of 2024.) However, the source says, “Travis invited her to the game, and of course she said ‘yes.’ She thought it was a fantastic way to spend a Sunday.”

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce leaving Arrowhead together after the Chiefs game. pic.twitter.com/wuW4eDMMn6

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) September 25, 2023

There hadn’t been public confirmation of the maybe-possibly budding romance before Swift was seen cheering on the Chiefs with Kelce’s mother. After the game, Swift and Kelce were seen leaving the stadium together in a video posted to X.

source https://time.com/6317151/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-swifties-football/

Is It Flu, COVID-19, or RSV? How to Navigate the New World of At-Home Testing

Before COVID-19, figuring out whether a sore throat, fever, and runny nose were caused by a cold, flu, or strep wasn’t a top priority. You either powered through, knowing you’d be miserable for a few days but would probably feel better soon or you visited the doctor’s office, urgent care, or emergency room where you might get a test to figure out which virus or bacteria was behind your misery, and maybe a prescription to treat it. But even doctors often don’t order tests, preferring instead to make diagnoses based on symptoms.

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During the pandemic, however, it became more critical to know who was infected with SARS-CoV-2 so those people could isolate and not spread the virus. At-home test kits became household products, and most people are by now adept at squeezing out a few drops of solution onto a card, sticking a swab up their nose, swirling the swab in the testing liquid, and waiting for a result.

Tests for COVID-19

A number of companies, offer at-home test kits for COVID-19 that people can buy without a prescription. Most of these are rapid antigen tests, which pick up antigens, or substances that the SARS-CoV-2 virus makes. While they are relatively accurate, because it takes some time for levels of these antigens to build up after an infection, these tests are less reliable in the day or so immediately after exposure to the virus. That’s why doctors recommend repeating the test a couple of days apart.

Then there are PCR, or molecular, tests, that are closer to the gold standard used in laboratories, and rely on finding the smallest genetic signatures of the virus and amplifying them. Cue Health sells a palm-sized COVID-19 PCR device that people can purchase for $300 that allows for 10 at-home tests and doesn’t require a prescription. The device reads a saliva sample and provides results to a smartphone app in 20 minutes.

Other testing companies, such as Labcorp and Everlywell, also sell PCR-based tests for COVID-19, but they are technically collection kits, which means that you have to send a saliva sample into a lab to get results, which can mean critical days will pass before you get results.

Tests for seasonal flu

There is only one at-home test authorized by the FDA for influenza: Lucira, now owned by Pfizer, makes a combined flu and COVID-19 molecular test. The kit uses a PCR-related method of amplifying and reading any viral genes in a sample, providing a result in about 30 minutes. In coming months, eMed, a digital health company that sells test kits and telehealth services, plans to offer that kit, as well another that is currently being reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (The combined kit currently available on eMed’s website only tests for COVID-19 and provides a survey to help telemedicine professionals determine if a user likely has the flu.)

Tests for RSV

There currently aren’t at-home tests for RSV, because typically only infants and the elderly are at risk for severe illness. Doctors’ offices, hospitals, and urgent care centers can perform RSV tests that provide results in about 30 minutes.

The advantages of at-home testing

The currently cumbersome journey from symptoms to treatment rests on people making appointments with their doctors or at an urgent care center and could be contributing to the spread of viruses. Self-testing could reduce some of that risk since people are most infectious while they are waiting to get tested and receive treatment. Ideally, if someone tests themselves at home and finds they are positive for influenza or COVID-19, for example, they don’t necessarily have to physically visit their doctor or go into an urgent care or emergency room, where they could spread the virus to others. Instead, they could video conference with a doctor who could assess their symptoms and at-home test results, then write a prescription for, say, oseltamivir if it’s the flu, or Paxlovid if it’s COVID-19. “If you’re trying to minimize morbidity and mortality, and cut down on transmission, then [at-home] testing is an incredible tool to have,” says Thomas Denny, chief operating officer of the Duke University Human Vaccine Institute.

Read more: What It Will Take to Avoid a Tripledemic This Winter

In addition to the altruistic public health reasons to test yourself, there are more selfish ones. Knowing what infection you have means you can get the right treatment, and hopefully avoid prolonged and serious illness. And for the first time, there are effective ways to manage all three major respiratory illnesses that dominate the winter: flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Self-testing kits are especially useful for influenza and COVID-19, since antiviral treatments for both are most effective when people taken them within the first few days after their symptoms appear. (And while there aren’t treatments for RSV, new vaccines and antibody treatments can help to prevent infections and potentially serious complications in the most vulnerable.) Waiting to make an appointment to get tested at a health facility means many people could miss this small treatment window. “A lot of people are happy with the status quo, and don’t see a need for self-testing,” says Dr. Michael Mina, chief science officer at eMed.

And the availability of COVID-19 kits has set new expectations for at-home testing, leading both the public and health professionals to ask why more people can’t test for other illnesses themselves. In many cases, “we don’t need people to come into doctors’ offices,” says Dr. Howard Heller, an infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. “The home testing space is evolving and snowballing.”

During the pandemic, the Biden Administration launched the Test to Treat program, which streamlined the process of getting a prescription from a doctor by making it possible for people to test themselves and then go to their local pharmacy where the pharmacist could write a prescription for COVID-19 antiviral medications if they were positive The availability of more self-tests means moving that entire process into the home, which would make testing and treating respiratory diseases more convenient and streamlined, which in turn could reduce their spread.

eMed is working with the National Institutes of Health to study what impact having more at-home tests will have in controlling spread of disease. The team is tracking the average time it takes for people who test positive using eMed’s at-home kits—combined with a telehealth visit on eMed’s platform—to get treatments compared to people who make appointments with their doctor or visit a pharmacy. NIH is funding the test kits and telehealth visits for 80,000 to 100,000 people who enroll in the study through June 2024.

Mina argues that wider testing, driven by at-home kits and telehealth, could lead more people to reach out to their health care professionals for the proper treatment, which in turn could keep spread of infectious diseases down, and lower hospital costs for those who develop complications. “A $25 home testing kit and telemedicine visit could avoid what could turn into an $8,000 hospital visit,” says Mina.

The negatives of at-home testing

There is a downside to more DIY testing, however. The results are essentially invisible to public health authorities, so they don’t have a clear picture of how many people are getting sick, and where. If at-home testing, especially for infectious diseases, continues to grow, then public health officials will have to look beyond lab-based results for alternative ways to track the ebb and flow of cases, such as relying on anonymous sampling of wastewater from communities.

The future of at-home testing

Researchers are continuing to work on improving the accuracy, convenience, and price of at-home tools to test for infections. They are developing cheaper versions of rapid antigen tests that utilize paper strips (similar those used for urinary tract infection tests) that could bring the price of these tests down from over $20 to a few dollars. These, and other rapid antigen tests, will continue to be useful for people who don’t have symptoms but want quick answers to whether they can safely visit loved ones in the hospital without putting them at risk—or, if they have symptoms, whether they should go to work or school if they aren’t feeling well. “If your kids are sick and you want to test them before sending them to school and causing a flu outbreak, you don’t need perfect tests when you’re trying to be a good citizen,” says Mina. “Rapid antigen tests that are 80% or more sensitive are amazingly important for public health.”

Read more: What to Know About the New COVID-19 Vaccine Booster

PCR-quality tests are also becoming cheaper and more effective. The FDA recently issued an emergency use authorization for a test made by Aptitude, called Metrix, that mimics PCR by relying on electrochemical signals from saliva or nasal swab samples that can pick up viral genes in about 30 minutes. The reader device, which can be reused, costs $75 and a single-use saliva test kit for COVID-19 is $48. Researchers are working on cheaper versions of these molecular tests, and some may eventually be read through devices that attach to smartphones.

“The biggest challenge continues to be price,” says Dr. Carlos del Rio, president of the board of directors of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and professor of medicine at Emory University. “We need to hopefully see the price come down like they have for some cell phones and computers.” Even the lowest-priced option, the rapid antigen tests, are currently in the range of $25 per test—which can add up, especially when families need to buy several kits to test everyone multiple times in a household.

Eventually, even PCR-based devices may become small, convenient, and cheap enough for people to have at home. Such diagnostic testing may follow the example of pregnancy testing, which for decades could only be done at a doctor’s office with blood and urine samples and can now be done at home with an inexpensive urine stick. “I truly believe that within five years we will have little molecular devices in our homes that can test for a panel of five things,” says Dr. Luis Ostrosky, chief of infectious diseases at UTHealth Houston and Memorial Hermann. “We’re living in a revolution in diagnostics.”

source https://time.com/6316682/at-home-tests-covid-19-rsv-flu/