Self-service COVID-19 testing stations have arrived in Israel, according to a report published Monday by the Hebrew-language Ynet site.
The automatic coronavirus sampling stations are being scattered throughout the country to make it possible for anyone age 18 and up to perform a PCR test alone, in front of a camera.
No need for a medical professional, and no need to wait in line outside the HMO clinic in the sweltering heat.
Sound too good to be true?
Maybe, but clinical tests with tens of thousands of participants came back with 100 percent validity, according to Ynet.
The pilot for the device was carried out under the approval of Israel’s Health Ministry at selected sites that included Ben Gurion International Airport.
The sampling is performed in front of the camera, with artificial intelligence verifying one’s identity and documenting the procedure. The sample is then inserted into the machine, where it is picked up and taken to a laboratory for processing.
The self-service COVID-19 testing machine was developed by AID Genomics. The software that is used to analyze the sample was developed in a joint project by AID Genomics and another Israeli firm.
So far, the self-test kiosks have been installed at Good Pharm and M’Tayel (Traveler) branches nationwide.
