Who can participate in the study?

• You should be more than 2 years old
• You are willing to participate for 1 month
• You own an internet enabled android or an iPhone capable of loading web pages, receiving text messages, and taking/ uploading photos
• You don’t have color blindness
• You don’t have a salivary gland dysfunction such as Sjogren’s disease, lup, xerostomia or rheumatoid arthritis.
• You don’t have prior experience with medical/ laboratory training
• You don’t have any prior experience with self collection or self testing (including glucose testing)
• You live in the Bay Area (currently we're only conducting local distribution)

Can someone help me with the test procedure?

If you are a minor aged 14 years or less or aged >65 years, have dexterity issues, are already experiencing COVID-19 symptoms , or are COVID-19 positive; someone else can do the test on your behalf.

Can I use this test at home?

Yes, this test can be performed at home provided you complete the e- consenting and have downloaded the Pattern Health App on your Phone.

I have signed the informed consent and the HIPAA form, but I haven’t received the email with a link to download the App.

If you don’t see the email in your inbox, be sure to check your spam/ junk mail. However you will need to download the Pattern Health App through your App store/ Play store manually and the email sent will provide a code that opens in the app to associate it with the account you made when consenting.

I need help with using the test kits. Is there a guide I can use?

If you need help with taking the test you can review the Instructions for Use guide as well as the tutorial video by going to the the Learn tab in the Pattern Health App.

Can I request an extra kit?

Please contact us to submit your request. Depending upon existing supplies, we would be happy to provide an extra kit and will inform you via email.

If I messed up on the test, should I stop and request a replacement?

No, please continue the test and note any complications/errors at the end of the test.

There are two (or three) of everything in the kit, but only one cup. Do I need to reuse the cup for the second (and third) test?

Each kit contains enough supplies for 2 (or 3) tests. The provided cup and lid are to be reused for  each test. Do not dispose of the cup until all tests are completed. 

Why are there two (or three) SnapDx tubes in the cup?

Each kit contains enough supplies for 2 (or 3)  tests. The tests are to be performed roughly 22-24 hours apart. Having two (or three) tests allows for better accuracy in the overall test result. 

Do we need to do anything in advance before taking the test?

Do not eat, drink, smoke, chew anything or use any oral hygiene products 30 min. before using the test kit. Thoroughly wash your hands for at least 20sec. (per CDC recommendations) with soap and water and dry them before starting the test. 

What happens if I eat or drink anything before taking the test?

Your saliva can get contaminated therefore your test results may not be accurate. Please make a note of this on the app. 

During what time of day is ideal for the test(s)?

There is no prescribed time of day for testing, however you must not eat any food, drink any beverage other than water, smoke, chew anything, or use any oral hygiene products within 30 mins of starting the test. Conduct subsequent test(s) roughly 22-24 hours after the previous test.

Can I microwave the cup to boil the water?

No, DO NOT use the cup to boil the water nor put the cup in a microwave for heating. Boil the water either in an electric water boiler or in a separate compatible container on a stove. 

I don’t have a stove or an electric water boiler, can I still boil the water in a microwave?

We DO NOT recommend using a microwave to boil the water due to the inconsistency of the heated water. 

Does it have to be boiling water or just hot water?

Yes, make sure the water used for inactivation in Step 2 is at boiling temperature. This step inactivates any viruses or bacteria that may be present in the saliva sample, hence boiling water is used. 

What if there are bubbles in the saliva? Should those count toward the total required volume? 

Some bubbles in the collected saliva are acceptable and can be counted toward the required volume, however, try to collect as much liquid saliva to reach the fill line (marked inside the tube) as possible. 

What if I cannot fill enough saliva sample?

Continue through the subsequent steps, and at the end we will ask for you to share your challenges. Please let us know of this challenge or any other you might encounter while working through the test.

What if I went beyond the blue mark on Step 3D?

Simply slide the plunger back so that the blue mark on the plunger is against the black rubber piece on the white cap. The blue mark can simply be roughly by the black rubber piece; high precision on this step is not necessary.

What if I had accidentally broken the ampoules/glass vials within the plunger during an earlier step than the Step 3 Reaction?

Continue through the subsequent steps, and at the end we will ask for you to share your challenges. Please let us know of this challenge or any other you might encounter while working through the test.

What if the result is not clear between bright purple and yellow?

If you’re unsure whether the resulting color readout is closer to the bright purple or yellow read-out, wait for 22-24 hours and perform the second test. If the read-out is still unclear, please continue to upload the photo of your results and note the result as being “unclear” on the app. Then contact us for further instructions.

What if my test shows dark purple (COVID-19 is not detected) but I’m experiencing some symptoms (i.e. fever, sore throat)?

If you’re experiencing COVID symptoms, contact your healthcare provider regardless of the test result readout. Note: SnapDx is a screening test, NOT a diagnostic test. The results shown on this device serves as a probability indicator for COVID-19.

What if I forget to read the results right after removing the tube from the warm water?

If it is past 15 minutes after the 30-minute water submersion, then the results are considered unreliable. Please continue to record your data and make a note of this on the app. 

Will my results be visible to anyone?

All recorded data will be stored in compliance with the HIPPA regulations. All data used for this research will not contain any personal health information (PHI) and all are anonymized prior sharing the detected COVID-19 case numbers with the CDC. 

What should I do if the SnapDx test has detected COVID-19 in my sample?

In the small chance that COVID-19 is detected on your SnapDx test (bright yellow), please enter your results in your Pattern app . You will then be given a contact number for follow-up steps. 

Is it safe to dispose of the kit in the regular trash? Should I recycle the tube?

Yes, it is safe to dispose of the used kit components (placed inside the provided zip-lock bag) in a regular trash. Do not recycle the tubes.