MADISON, Wis. — The federal government’s decision to stop sending out free at-home COVID tests this week comes at a bad time according to one UW Health expert, who said cases of the virus could surge this fall.
The Biden administration announced they’re stopping the free mail-order service due to a lack of funding from Congress.
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“We’re in a vulnerable spot in the pandemic where we had higher levels of cases just a few weeks and a few months back,” said Dr. Ajay Sethi, “and it’s come down a little bit — but not low enough to feel safe.”
Dr. Sethi, a professor of population health sciences at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, said he expects cases to go up this fall when other respiratory illnesses come back and we’re all indoors in school or due to the cold.
But if you’re thinking you have tests at home now that will expire soon, Dr. Sethi said to check again online.
That expiration date on the box is most likely extended — some by a whole year.
“When these tests were approved, they were actually authorized under the emergency use authorization mechanism, the tests were just manufactured they didn’t exist long enough to know how long the shelf life is,” Dr. Sethi said. “The manufacturers of these tests have done the stability testing over time to see if those shelf lives can be extended and the FDA has reviewed that data.”
Now once the government stops taking orders for more tests, you can still go to your doctor to get tested for free. Just make sure you aren’t left with the bill because the government requires insurance companies, Medicare, and Medicaid to reimburse you for the cost.
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