How to check if your COVID-19 at-home test kit is usable
That test you picked up months ago may have an extension on its expiration date, according to the FDA.
That test you picked up months ago may have an extension on its expiration date, according to the FDA.
That test you picked up months ago may have an extension on its expiration date, according to the FDA.
If you find yourself needing to take a rapid COVID-19 test, the last thing you want to discover is that your test is expired.
But before you panic or throw the test away, it's worth checking it to see if it has had its expiration date extended.
To do so, , to find your test kit on the Food and Drug Administration's website. From there you can see what the current shelf life is and if there has been an extension based on the kit's lot number.
Previously, the FDA allowed for certain test kits to be extended by a few months if they passed the inspection test. Now certainly tests may be extended for an even longer period.
"Well, you don't want to have to buy more test kits if they're still good," TriHealth Medical Director for Infectious Diseases Dr. Stephen Blatt said explaining why it's helpful to have certain COVID-19 testing kits continue to have an expanded extension period. "So we all have tests at home just waiting to be used. Maybe we haven't had a need yet and you're still good. You don't want to pay 25 bucks for a couple more tests that are still accurate."
Blatt reminds the public that if your testing kit is expired and not given an FDA-approved extension, you should not use that kit and throw it away. Using an expired test kit could result in an incorrect reading.
If you live in the Greater Cincinnati area, need to be tested for COVID-19 or looking to restock your at-home test kit supply,