Less-invasive COVID-19 tests available in WV

West Virginia is offering the saliva-based test through a partnership with Vault Health, and Department of Health and Human Resources Secretary Bill Crouch said a second partnership with another company will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

The Vault Health test can be ordered online at www.vaulthealth.com/covid. Fees will be waived once a West Virginia address is entered. The test is done under supervision through Zoom.

Both the saliva test and the self-administered nasal swab are PCR tests, the same as the tests administered by area health departments and other medical entities. They have the same level of accuracy.

Jeff Fenerty, director of pharmacy services at Marshall Health, referred to the standard COVID-19 test as a “brain tickler.”

The self-administered nasal swab, by comparison, only needs to be inserted about an inch in each nostril, rotating it five times each.

Fenerty said the self-administered nasal and saliva tests are a good alternative to the standard test, especially because they protect health care workers from more virus exposure.

“That’s one of our concerns — exposure,” Fenerty said. “We have a tent at Cabell-Huntington [Hospital] and our people are concerned about being exposed to the virus. We have to use up our PPE. The self-administered test sends you through the pharmacy’s drive-thru, you hand the kit out the window, it’s all sealed up and sanitized and you put it in a box. It’s safe and prevents additional exposure for the healthcare workers. We do have people out from being exposed, so it’s a big help in that way.”

Fenerty said he thinks access to these types of tests will continue to be expanded and they will lead to more testing.

If you are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, Fenerty recommends calling your physician before getting any type of COVID-19 test. Crouch said the state will monitor the usage of the saliva test.