BEATRICE - It’s going to be easier for Americans to get at home COVID-19 tests as the U.S. government is now allowing four kits be ordered, per household, online.

Deines Pharmacy in Beatrice one of the only locations in southeast Nebraska that has regularly had at home test kits in stock. Megan Larkins is the pharmacist at Deines and she spoke on what the changes, benefits of downfalls of this new form of testing could be.

“It’s a really simple, no hassle way of getting tests,” Larkins said. “Just submit your name and address and in about two weeks you should get them.”

Megan Larkins is the pharmacist at Deines Pharmacy and she explained that as cases increase in Nebraska, as one of the only area stores with test kits in stock, people have come from all over to purchase them.

“We’re definitely one of the only places, not only in town, but in the area that has them in stock,” Larkins said. “We’ve got a lot of people from coming from over an hour away to get them so they’re flying off the shelves.”

Being able to acquire tests online is helpful, but Larkins says it isn’t necessarily a solution that’s built to last.

“It’s a fast way to be able to test and see if you have to stay home for sure,” Larkins said. “As far as downfalls, they aren’t always 100% accurate and there’s always the possibility of human error.”

Some of those errors are things such as not looking closely at your test result. According to testing instructions, a thin line on the lower half of the test is still a positive test, and they can be as thin as this. In addition, the amount of time given between checking your results has to be precise. Some tests recommend 10 minutes, others up to 15.

Additionally, even though this new option of getting tests will make it easier for more people to get tests individually, it doesn’t mean places like Deines will stop seeing people come in to purchase additional tests.

“Four tests isn’t necessarily going to go real far for people,” Larkins said. “A lot of times you have to test more than once, and if you’re buying for a whole household, I think there will still be a lot of demand at the local level.