There are just a few days left to order free, at-home COVID-19 tests before the federal program is suspended Friday.
The White House began distributing the tests to households back in January during the Omicron surge.
An administration official told ABC News the pause is the result of a lack of additional funding from Congress, and the pause will allow the administration to preserve a limited supply of tests in the event they are necessary later on. All this despite the fact that the virus is still spreading rapidly across the nation. According to the CDC, COVID-19Community Transmission levels in most of the United States are high.
ABC News reports the administration plans to continue to distribute free tests to community health centers, schools, long-term care facilities and other sites.
If you have not yet ordered your maximum amount, you can order your tests before Friday here.
While at-home rapid tests are better than nothing, they are less sensitive than lab-based PCR tests.
“Those antigen tests, they're intended to confirm that you do have COVID, not that you necessarily don’t,” said Dr. Stephen Feagins, Mercy Health’s Chief Clinical Officer.
The FDA released new guidance earlier this month suggesting people take three home tests to rule out COVID-19 in some situations.
If you receive a negative result, but have symptoms, test again in 48 hours for a total of two tests. If you receive a negative result and have no symptoms, but believe you were exposed, the agency recommends you take at least three home tests, each spaced 48 hours apart.
If you receive a positive result, initially or after a repeat test, the agency said you most likely have COVID-19.
Whatever the result, if you have symptoms, Feagins recommends you stay home.
“One trend that we've seen here recently is that all the age groups that have positive rates, the one that's that has increased the most over the last month is the age five to 17, the school age,” he said.
“The advice for going back to school, is whatever you have, if you're ill, stay home,” he added. “If you have a fever, stay home. Could be COVID, could be flu, could be anything. All of those are potentially transmissible.”
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