Health officials have repeatedly cautioned that the tests can give false negatives if taken too early. People with symptoms can continue using two tests spaced 48 hours apart. The new guidance applies to people without symptoms who think they may have been exposed. If you were exposed to COVID-19, you’re recommended to take three home tests now instead of two. But the agency says new studies suggest that protocol can miss too many infections, and could result in people spreading the virus to others, especially if they don’t develop symptoms. Previously, the FDA had advised people who had been exposed to take two rapid antigen tests over two or three days to rule out infection. Take 3 home tests after exposure, FDA saysĮarlier this month, the FDA began recommending people repeat testing for COVID at home. You can find a testing site available near you here.Īdditionally, if Congress provides additional funding to replenish the stockpile, you can order another round of free at-home tests from /tests. More than 20,000 testing sites are still available nationwide and provide antigen and PCR COVID tests at no cost to both those who are insured and those who are uninsured. Read more about insurance reimbursement here. If you have health insurance through an employer or Marketplace, your insurance will pay you back for eight at-home tests each month for each person on your plan. Check with local retailers and pharmacies near you to see if they have any in stock. If your test really is expired, or maybe you don’t have any left at home, COVID tests are still readily available.Īt-home tests are available for sale around the U.S. ![]() ![]() RELATED: White House encouraging COVID-19 boosters, flu shot for fall Where can I get a COVID test? The table will say "See box label" instead of having a link to updated expiration dates.Īdditionally, you could check directly on the website of your test manufacturer, or contact your test’s manufacturer. If the expiration date column does not say the shelf-life is extended, that means the expiration date on the box label of your test is still correct.Find the original expiration date on the box label of your test and then look for the new expiration date in the "updated expiration dates" table for your test. If the expiration date column says that the shelf-life is "extended," there is a link to "updated expiration dates" where you can find a list of the original expiration dates and the new expiration dates.To see if the expiration date for your at-home test has been extended, first find your test on FDA’s website here. How can I check if my COVID test’s expiration has been extended? You can see the list of all 22 approved tests here. If you got your tests through other means, such as the free shipment from the government, you can check online to see if your unused tests, the ones collecting dust in your medicine cabinet, are still good to go. If you purchased your tests directly from a manufacturer, you may have received a notice that the expiration dates have been extended. You can read more about testing from the FDA here. This is because additional testing has been done as more time has passed to determine whether the shelf life is longer than originally thought. The expiration date - which is what is listed on the box - is the date through which the test is expected to perform as accurately as when manufactured.Ĭurrently, the FDA has approved 22 at-home COVID-19 diagnostics tests - and many of them have been granted extended shelf lifes. ![]() The shelf-life is how long the test should perform as expected and is measured from the date the test was manufactured. But, it’s possible that the test’s shelf life has been extended, which means their expiration would be, too.Īccording to the FDA, COVID-19 test manufacturers perform studies to show how long after manufacturing the test performs as accurately as the day it was manufactured. The expiration date on your COVID test is accurate and should be adhered to. RELATED: CDC panel recommends tweaked COVID-19 booster Is my COVID test really expired? Because of this, an expired test could give you an inaccurate result.īut, before you toss those expired kits, you may be in luck. The FDA doesn’t recommend using an expired at-home COVID test because the parts they are made of can degrade or break down over time. Can you use an expired at-home COVID test?
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