CUE has announced the direct to consumer platform. Our family has been using the standalone products (CUE reader + test kit). These are PCR - lab quality, lab accuracy tests which provide results to an app within 20 minutes.
Individual tests for the DTC market are $75 - up to now they were double that if you could manage to find them. Looks like there will be discounts based on volume and subscription package.
I find their subscription packages interesting…especially this part…’ And as the anticipated COVID-19 antivirals requiring time-sensitive administration come to market, Cue expects to be able to enable consumers to go from test result to physician consultation to antiviral treatment, when appropriate, within the comfort and convenience of their own homes.’
If CUE has a contracted group of physicians who specialize in the rapidly changing testing, antibody, therapeutics environment, this could be a huge benefit. As much as my PCP and PA try to keep up with all the changes, they really are keeping to the ‘company line’ (which actually varies a bit by provider organization). I’m not really sure they would be on top of the most beneficial antiviral treatment - or where to access the treatment - at any given point in time.
In addition, their $90/month subscription package gives access to travel approved testing procedures. Takes the anxiety out of finding the right test, taking it within the prescribed time frame and then hoping like heck you get the results in time.
Here’s a good overview
This give more specifics about the subscription services…
Yes, their tests are still molecular (meaning they detect nucleic acids not proteins), but they use a different amplification method. PCR, the gold standard of molecular, requires temperature cycling; in contrast, the method used by Cue does not (aka isothermal amplification). There are downsides and upsides to both methods. Some info about Cue tests:
So the question would be…just because the CUE method is different…does it automatically mean it is inferior. I’m certainly not even remotely qualified to answer that on a technical basis. Also from the FDA…“Cue COVID-19 Test for Home and Over The Counter (OTC) Use correctly identified 96% of positive samples from individuals known to have symptoms and correctly identified 100% of positive samples from individuals without symptoms. Cue Health expects to produce more than 100,000 tests per day by summer 2021.”
A 100% accuracy in detecting non-symptomatic but infected individuals is alright by me With that level of accuracy I’m not sure average non-lab techie would care if they spun the sample clockwise or counter clock wise.
Our state distributed a million free tests under “Say Yes! COVID Tests.” We have 8 free tests and I plan to give 4 to each of my kids so they can test and be sure they are safe after travel, before we can let our guard down (especially around 92yo mom).
For surveillance purposes, which is what you are using it for, the method used by Cue (isothermal amplification) is fine. I would not bore you with the technical details here comparing the two techniques.
I was just clarifying. I think the bigger point is that even if it is inferior, which if it is, it’s only slightly according to the data that I’ve read, does it matter. If it’s cheap and fast, there’s a point where the ability to test frequently vastly outweighs accuracy. That’s one place where I feel the FDA has stumbled. They seem to want PCR accuracy for everything they ultimately approve. There is a middle ground of accurate enough for cheap, frequent testing. Cue is still too expensive for daily asymptomatic testing though.
No. Not cheap. But they come with access to professionals who can assist in other ways…It’s more for the Tesla driving- in the toll lane -to their solar paneled house crowd
So, the husband in married couple 1 has covid. He’s the one who said he had a cold a few days ago. He’s feeling not great, but hopefully he is okay. Fever, chills and a cough. Ugh. I’m am not going to be at all surprised if I end up testing positive.
If that happens, I hope you have an easy go of it, then I hope it ends up being true that vax followed by Covid = as good protection as Covid followed by vax.
I’m hoping in the next 6 months we get more data on that. If it works, that could be our next plan of attack because we’re not getting any younger and getting Covid at an older age is scary. Some soar by asymptomatically still, but so many draw short straws.
