More than two years into pandemic parenting, the time we spent in total isolation simultaneously feels like it just happened and like it was a distant memory. For many months after that, my family took small steps back in the social world – until we finally returned to something resembling “normal”.
But the challenge is that we are still Pandemic parenting, just as our kids are back in classrooms, sports games are back on the calendar, and less work is far away. As a result, even with the precautions we continue to take, we have received several post-interaction text messages informing us that we were exposed to Covid-19.
For the longest time, I felt so anxious when I got those “you’ve been exposed” text messages. I was wondering where we could be tested. I was wondering how long the test results would take. I wondered if we would get clear results even if we didn’t have symptoms yet.
That’s why, for me, one of the biggest revelations about managing pandemic parenting was the discovery Suggestion Health, which offers a self-test for Covid-19 that is 97.8% as accurate as laboratory-based PCR tests and can be easily done at home. (Based on an independent study conducted by the Mayo Clinic.)
Cue eliminates those questions about testing and turnaround time that gave me anxiety for a long time. With fast and reliable results wherever we are, Cue helps my family get the answers we need to take care of our health and the health of those around us.
Not to mention how convenient it is to take a Cue Covid-19 test: After downloading the app and setting up your account, you start the test by inserting a Cue cartridge into the Cue reader. Then use the individually wrapped sticks, which are safe for adults or children ages 2 and up (with the help of an adult with a stick). After wiping your nose, insert the stick into a heated cartridge in the Reader – no mixing liquid or anything needed. Twenty minutes later, the test results are delivered to your Cue Health app. Compared to the time in 2020 when there was a full week wait for our test results, this is a complete game changer.
At this point, my kids are no strangers to nasal swabs and it was almost always a struggle to get a great sample from my 4 year old. Thankfully, with the Cue test, you get reliable results by wiping the bottom of each nostril. This means that there is no longer the feeling of “probing your brain” that caused so many wrestling matches.
Especially as a mother of a child with asthma, it is vital to get accurate and reliable Covid-19 test results. When it comes to its treatment and care, early detection is power. As a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT), the Cue test is highly sensitive, meaning it is excellent at detecting even small amounts of the virus if exposure has been recent. Yes, all popular variants too!
That’s a big deal when you consider that the vast majority of self-tests for Covid-19 are antigen tests, which are more likely to give you a false negative and do a poor job of catching the load of virus in asymptomatic people. In fact, the Cue test is so much more reliable than antigen tests that it meets most requirements for air travel in the United States and Canada. (And, since it’s super portable, you can really take it on the go.)
As the trusted home testing technology for organizations ranging from the Mayo Clinic to Major League Baseball, Cue Health has played an important role in getting our society back to normal. That’s why I’m so grateful that it’s accessible on an individual level in a way that reliable Covid-19 self-tests haven’t really been for a long time. And with a Cue+ membership, you can get even more access to high-quality health care—including 24/7 access to chat with board-certified doctors, electronic prescriptions and renewals, and more.
With accurate tests and a set of helpful resources, Cue Health helped me manage the stress I felt about potential exposures. Although life may never be the same as it was before 2020, we are moving in the right direction with tools like those from Cue Health helping us manage Covid-19.
Shop here and save 20% on your Cue Health starter pack for a limited time with code MOTHERLY.
*Valid in the starter pack, which includes 10 tests for COVID-19 and a suggestion reader. Not valid on other products or memberships. There are no additional discounts. Limit 1 transaction per customer. No cash value. Expires 9/12/22. For product disclaimers, visit cuehealth.com/docs.
