It’s been four and a half years since the coronavirus pandemic began, but viruses are still a big part of our lives, especially for those of us with kids in school who are now dealing with the annual back-to-school germ swap. While respiratory viruses are not currently a significant part of most people’s daily lives (except for those with long-term COVID-19 infection), they can still greatly impact our schedules, plans, and health.
For these reasons, it’s still important to get tested for COVID-19 when you or a family member is sick, and at-home testing can be expensive, typically costing about $10 to $15.
Starting in January 2022, the Biden administration began offering free four-packs of at-home rapid COVID-19 tests. Over the next year and a half, these products were offered to Americans three more times. Now, the program has resumed and is ready for its latest round of testing, just in time for cooler weather, school days and the historic flu, cold and COVID season.
Starting today, you can order a test from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Each household can order up to four free tests, and starting September 30, the U.S. Postal Service will ship the tests for free.
The latest round of tests also comes with some additional information about test expiration dates, which in many cases are past the dates printed on the boxes. If you have an expired test at home, you can check its availability on the Food and Drug Administration’s extended expiration date list. The test you receive in the mail may be older than the printed expiration date but may still be available for use.
Current COVID-19 guidance from the CDC recommends that people with COVID-19 or the flu stay home and away from others until symptoms improve and fever goes down without medication for 24 hours. Additionally, people infected with both viruses are advised to take precautions within five days of becoming ill to protect the community from spread. These precautions include staying home, avoiding crowds, wearing a well-fitting mask, and practicing proper hygiene.
In general, they recommend that all Americans can help contain COVID-19 and the flu by getting regular seasonal vaccinations, washing hands and paying attention to air circulation.
We encourage everyone to anonymously report their COVID-19 test results, whether negative or positive, at MakeMyTestCount.org.
