THREAD: Here was my experience with the @VaultHealth_ in-home, COVID-19 saliva test that @mnhealth is touting:

I ordered it online last Friday morning. This part was easy. But....

...It was supposed to arrive Saturday morning and didn’t until Monday, midday. Two friends of mine have seen theirs delayed by up to 4 days.

Once it arrived, it was easy to log on to the Vault website and connect with a nurse to help me through the test.

But something that surprised me was that the nurse didn’t give me any advice on isolating while I waited for results. That information came a day later in an email when the lab in Oakdale received the test.

If I’d been infectious, without clear advice on isolating from Vault, it seems like there were two windows - while I waited for the test to arrive at my home and while it was en route to the lab - when I could have inadvertently transmitted COVID-19 to others.

I just got my results via email - Negative!! - about 36 hrs after sending the test in.

UPDATE: I got a response from an MDH spokeswoman @katebrickman. Here's some highlights from the email she sent me:

"Since the COVID-19 Test at Home program was made available statewide on November 12, Minnesotans have ordered more than 130,000 tests. Due to the high volume, some Minnesotans have experienced shipping delays." State is working with UPS on this.

In the meantime: "To manage the high demand, over the next several days we will be capping the number of daily tests available at 12,500. We expect this to only be a temporary cap, as the delivery catches up with demand. "

"In addition, we ask people to not hold onto their tests. Take the test and send it in." ( this was something I was wondering about myself)

Lastly, Brickman said that @mnhealth is working with @VaultHealth_ "to incorporate guidance on what to do while waiting for test to arrive both at your home and back at the lab, during those windows you noted."