As the nation experiences a rise in COVID cases this summer, doctors are urging prevention strategies, such as practicing good hygiene, to lower your risk of becoming ill.
But if you do start feeling sick, taking an at-home COVID test is an easy way to find out if you've contracted the virus. The recent uptick in cases has prompted questions about at-home tests, including if they're available for free.
According to the U.S. Postal Service, the federal government program that provided at-home tests through the mail - at no cost - was suspended in March.
However, some individuals still may be eligible to get at-home tests without paying a penny.
COVID tests are available to underinsured individuals and underserved communities at HRSA-funded health centers or Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) locations. Tests may also be available at community health clinics and local health departments.
However, if you're hoping to get tested and have some old tests lying around -- they might not actually be expired.
Some tests have had expiration dates extended anywhere from 15 to 22 months, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
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"When manufacturers first released these tests, they had conservative expiration dates," Cleveland Clinic Microbiologist and pathologist Dr. Daniel Rhoads said in a March 2023 article. "As they do additional studies and demonstrate that the expiration date can be pushed back, then they can extend it. But the boxes have already been distributed, with the original expiration date already listed on it.”
An extensive list of at-home COVID tests with extended expiration dates is available on the agency's website.
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