With COVID-19 cases increasing in L.A. County and COVID-19 test site appointments being filled for days in advance, a new testing option has emerged, bringing the lab test to your doorstep.

Sprinter Health has full-time nurses across L.A. County that can come to your home and administer COVID-19 tests, with results available in 15 minutes.

Similar to how appointments are made for L.A. County test sites, Sprinter has time slots throughout the day for people to choose from, giving a one hour window for one of their medical professionals to arrive at your door.

From there the antigen test is administered professionally, from either inside your home, or outside, depending one’s comfort level.

“What we do in the rapid antigen space, kind of fits a particular need, which is a little bit more for people who want clearance, versus people who are extremely sick, where then the PCR test makes the most sense,” Sprinter Health CEO and co-founder Max Cohen said.

Similar to what you would see when using a food delivery, or rideshare app, Sprinter Health will send you text messages to remind you of your appointment, let you know know how far the nurse is from you and then a call upon their arrival.

Unlike tests at the start of the pandemic that required a nasal swab to be inserted deep into the nostril, Sprinter Health’s antigen test is a shallow swab and can be done in about 15 minutes using tests from medical technology company Becton Dickinson.

After 15 minutes, the results are recorded and emailed to patients.

Primarily providing home lab work for blood draws, vital checks and urine samples, Cohen said Sprinter Health expanded into COVID-19 testing in November, with patients taking advantage of its convenience before flights, entertainment events that require proof of a negative test and clearance from employers who also require the tests.

“We do in-home blood draws vitals checks, a number of things that is designed to allow a provider/doctor to get the data they need to treat a patient without the patient having to come into the office,” Cohen said. “COVID testing was something that we didn’t set out intending to do, it was just obviously a fairly large need where a lot of people were desiring to have a professionally administered test that goes a step beyond just the at-home testing.”

Cohen added that the Sprinter Health service is more than just convenience, as going to homes for these type of services is helpful for those who need results quickly, as opposed to potential long waits at a hospital and results that take days to reach a patient’s primary physician.

At $99 for the COVID-19 test service, the price is higher than over-the-counter tests, but Cohen said it is an affordable option in comparison to a PCR test, with a medical professional ensuring the test is taken correctly, decreasing the risk of a false reading.

The Menlo Park-based company began offering its services in October 2021 throughout the Sacramento area before making its way to L.A. County on December 1.

Over the holiday weekend, L.A. County recorded more than 44,000 positive COVID-19 cases, not including results from at-home test kits.

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