At-home COVID-19 tests kits have been a big game-changer, but trying to find one as Omicron continues to surge has been nearly impossible.
The Biden Administration, however, is now hoping to make them more accessible.
Starting Wednesday, you can order up to four at-home test kits online. To order them, head over to COVIDTests.gov. The White House will also add a phone number for people without the internet to order the tests.
“Our ERs are very busy, urgent cares, primary care doctors offices are very busy so ideally if we could take some of that volume off of them, by getting a test at home and make them so available, that’s a huge deal,” COPC Hospitals Medical Director Dr. Brian Taylor said. “That accessibility is such a big deal. Because we really don’t want people going out into the world just to get tested.”
However, the tests won't ship out until seven to 12 days after your request.
“That’s the unfortunate thing. If someone is worrying, how does this help me out now, or how does it even help me out five days from now, after they’re ordered – it probably doesn’t. It’s going to help you out down the road,” Taylor said.
So once those tests are available, health experts urge you to go ahead and order.
“Don’t wait until you’re having symptoms or you’re starting to feel sick to order them,” Taylor said.
Keep this in mind, if you do land an at-home test kit, check the expiration date. Some manufacturers have extended them, but doctors say it could make some of them less accurate.
“From my two cents, I would say if you’re opening up a test and it has passed the expiration date, if you have any option to try and get another test, you should really try and do that because I just don’t know how reliable that result will be," Taylor said.
Also, starting Saturday, private health insurance companies will be required to cover at-home COVID-19 tests for free.
The White House says they also plan to make high-quality masks available for free. More details are expected to come out about that sometime next week.