Topline
Amazon on Friday received an emergency use permit from the Food and Drug Administration for the Covid-19 home test package they plan to use on its employees, the group announced Friday.
Ariete 1 sorting warehouse of the multinational Amazon on 22 March 2021 in Arzano, Italy.
Photo by Ivan Romano / Getty Images
Key facts
Amazon’s COVID-19 Collection Kit allows employees to collect their own nasal swabs, either unsupervised at home or in the presence of a health care provider.
The company plans to automatically schedule meetings for employees every two weeks until the kitten is tested, Amazon told the FDA, although positions will be voluntary.
If an employee decides to use the test equipment, they can drop off their sample – sealed in a biohazard bag – at an Amazon drop box, which will be sent to a lab for processing.
The test was developed by STS Lab Holdco, a subsidiary of Amazon, and is a modification of a rapid test from BGI Genomics, the authority says.
It is unclear whether Amazon intends to market the tests for use outside of its staff, or whether it will be incorporated into Amazon Care, a recently announced telehealth initiative. . (Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)
Key background
Amazon has provided many resources to develop its own authentication system for its vast workforce of more than 1.3 million people. The company has dedicated laboratories, one in Kentucky and another in California, for processing tests, which it aims to perform every fortnight. In October, Amazon revealed that nearly 20,000 frontline employees had been positive for Covid-19, a revelation that came after some employees said the company was not doing enough to work to protect from the virus. Amazon has noted that it conducts temperature checks, provides masks and cleanses workplace health frequently, as well as tests.