DoorDash now delivers at-home COVID-19 test kits in several US cities

President Biden remarks on 100M vaccinated ahead of schedule

President Joe Biden gave his remarks on 100 million people who have been vaccinated ahead of schedule, but stressed we still have a long way to go.

DoorDash announced Monday it has partnered with two digital health care companies to deliver at-home COVID-19 test kits to customers across the country.

The partnership with Vault Health and Everlywell will enable individuals in 12 U.S. cities to order testing kits directly in the DoorDash app, including Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis and Phoenix. More cities are being rolled out in the coming months, the company said.

Vault Health also has a direct online order option for its testing kit with same-day delivery in 20 markets, including Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, Phoenix and San Diego through DoorDash Drive — DoorDash’s white-label fulfillment platform.

Both COVID-19 test kits by Vault Health and Everlywell are polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which require the kits to be mailed to a lab for analysis, but are considered the benchmark for accuracy among many doctors and Food and Drug Administration regulators.

Both kits have also received emergency use authorization from the FDA for at-home testing.

The Vault Health COVID-19 Saliva Test Kit ($119) is a saliva sample collection with remote video supervision from a Vault medical practitioner. The Everlywell COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit ($109) is a self-administered lower nasal swab test that can be done without supervision. Both tests can be conducted with or without symptoms and both companies promise to return results within 24 to 48 hours.

In a statement, the companies noted that as many as 30% of people skip doctor’s appointments because they lack reliable transportation.

Users can order COVID-19 test kits via the DoorDash app in markets such as Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis, and Phoenix — with more cities to be added soon, the company says. (Photo credit: DoorDash)

"The fact that you can now get a kit delivered to your door in hours, quickly collect a sample and drop your kit in the mail, and then receive an accurate COVID-19 diagnosis and speak to a physician about next steps in as little as 24 hours later is a significant step forward for public health," said Dr. Marisa Cruz, head of clinical affairs at Everlywell and former FDA senior medical advisor for digital health.

The test delivery is part of DashMart, DoorDash’s convenience store platform offering convenience store products, groceries and household essentials.

Since the onset of the outbreak, the FDA has given emergency use approval to several at-home COVID-19 test kits — some of which are rapid tests with results in as little as 15 minutes.

This story was reported from Cincinnati.