11 Rapid At-Home Covid-19 Tests—and Where to Find Them

There’s an opportunity your check consequence might present up as invalid. This means the check didn’t work. If this occurred along with your first check, you’ll be able to attempt once more with the second within the field (although you’ll want to purchase one other pack to check once more).  

Per the CDC, there at present aren’t any techniques in place that require you to report a constructive at-home check consequence to public well being authorities. But as we talked about earlier than, it’s strongly inspired that you simply contact your well being care supplier to be sure to obtain the right medical care and therapy. You also can test whether or not your native well being division presents an internet self-reporting kind.

As you’re stocking up on assessments, it’s vital to be sure that the kits are saved correctly to keep away from false-negative outcomes. Most at-home fast assessments ought to be saved in a dry location (out of direct daylight) the place the temperature is between about 35 levels and 86 levels Fahrenheit. But yow will discover directions for particular assessments you’re utilizing through the producer’s directions that include every equipment. 

According to the FDA, “the test performance will remain stable when tests are stored at various temperatures, including shipping during the summer in very hot regions and in the winter in very cold regions.” However, you shouldn’t use a fast check if it’s nonetheless chilly after being uncovered to freezing temperatures. Instead, convey it inside and go away it in an space at room temperature for 2 hours earlier than opening it. 

Make certain fast assessments are saved out of kids’s attain too, because the small vial and cap might be choking hazards. Additionally, as per the National Poison Control Center, the answer discovered within the vials included with lots of fast antigen kits (equivalent to BinaxNow, Flowflex, and BD Veritor) makes use of sodium azide as a preservative agent—which might be poisonous if ingested in low doses. While the quantity of sodium azide in fast assessments is just too low to be thought-about toxic, it might nonetheless trigger irritation when uncovered to the eyes, nostril, or pores and skin (together with chemical burns).   

It’s vital to pay shut consideration to the expiration date of at-home fast check kits. Typically, that is discovered on the skin of the check’s packaging, labeled “Exp” or with an hourglass icon. But since some assessments have been granted an prolonged shelf life by the FDA, the date you see on the packaging may not be correct. Below, we’ve listed which assessments now have an extended shelf life and their new expiration interval. The new shelf life of every check is just relevant in the event that they’re saved correctly (as famous above).

• Abbott BinaxNow Antigen Rapid Self-Test Kit: Expires after 15 months; Check the brand new expiration date in accordance to your lot quantity here.
• FlowFlex Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Test: Expires after 16 months; Check the brand new expiration date primarily based on the printed date here.
• Intrivo Diagnostics On/Go Antigen Self-Test: Expires after 12 months; Check the brand new expiration date in accordance to your lot quantity here.
• iHealth Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Test: Expires after nine months; Check the brand new expiration of your check equipment by typing within the lot quantity (*11*).
• BD Veritor Digital Test Kit: Expires after 10 months; Check the brand new expiration date here.
• Detect Covid-19 Starter Kit: Expires after eight months; Check the brand new expiration date here.