The billionaire Walton family that founded Walmart is among a group of investors behind a startup company developing a quick, $10, at-home COVID-19 test, according to a November 20 report in the Wall Street Journal.
The start-up, Springdale, Arkansas-based NowDiagnostics is developing an at-home test that uses an antigen to detect the proteins of the virus. The antigen test, which analyzes a patient’s saliva, detects the active virus. Active virus suggests the individual could transmit the virus to others.
NowDiagnostics has already developed a COVID-19 antibody blood test and is seeking emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to distribute the test. The antibody test, different from the antigen test, indicates whether an individual has been exposed to the virus and may be immune from infection.
Walmart has been actively pursuing health care services and has been exploring selling tests for flu, the Journal reports.
—Staff reports