In preparation for the fall respiratory virus season, every household in the U.S. can now order another round of at-home COVID tests kits from the government.
As of this week, you can go to COVIDTests.gov to place your order for a set of four new at-home COVID tests. Starting next week, the tests will ship through the U.S. Postal Service at no cost to you.
And the new rapid COVID-19 tests couldn’t be coming at a better time. While rates from the summer surge are just now starting to wane, a new coronavirus variant, called XEC, is spreading in Europe right now and fuel yet another wave in the U.S. later this year.
With COVID still surging in much of the U.S. ahead of the usual cold and flu season, another round of tests will be an important tool in keeping yourself and those around you safe, public health experts say.
U.S. offers another round of free COVID tests
The news comes as COVID-19 circulation in the U.S. is high but declining, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and as a new COVID variant, XEC, may lead to a winter surge.
Across the entire U.S., wastewater samples indicate the country is experiencing a high level of COVID-19 transmission, the CDC data shows. Those rates started raising back in May, hit a peak around August and have just begun to decline as of early September.
Knowing that COVID-19 rates are this high as we’re just about to enter the usual peak virus season (typically around the winter holiday season), having easy access to another public health tool like tests will likely come in handy.
This round of free tests will help keep communities safe this fall and winter, officials said on a call with reporters in late August.
“As families start to move indoors this fall and begin spending time with their loved ones, both very old and very young, they will once again have the opportunity to order up to four new COVID-19 tests free of charge, and have them sent directly to their homes,” Dawn O’Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the Department of Health and Human Services, said.
What is the government website to order free COVID test kits?
The government website to order free COVID test kits is COVIDTests.gov.
How to order free COVID test kits
Starting today, you can order four more tests for free — you don’t even have to pay for shipping.
To order free COVID tests kids, head to the website COVIDTests.gov.
Each household is eligible to place one order of four tests, which can detect the new variants circulating and are usable through the end of the year. And, just like with previous rounds of free tests, they’ll be shipped to your home through the U.S. Postal Service.
When will free COVID tests be available?
You are able to order another round of tests starting Sept. 26, 2024.
The tests will begin shipping the week of Sept. 30, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response website says. And, once ordered, you can sign up to get email alerts tracking your order via the USPS.
Since the program started in 2021, more than 900 million tests have been sent to households in the U.S. Another 900 million have been distributed to community centers such as food banks, libraries and long-term care facilities.
“We have quite a bit of supply in the Strategic National Stockpile available to support (sending out free COVID-19 tests), so we won’t have any inventory issues,” David Boucher, Ph.D., director of infectious disease preparedness and response at ASPR, added on the call.
Guidelines for taking a COVID test
“Even though the virus is mutating, which allows it to keep causing all these waves, the way it spreads has not changed,” Dr. Megan Ranney, dean of the Yale School of Public Health, told TODAY.com recently. That means the same basic precautions we’ve taken previously — including testing — will still help prevent the spread of infections.
So, as we head into the fall and winter holiday season, don’t forget to order your free tests, O’Connell said. “And even more importantly, don’t forget to use these free tests when you are concerned that you or your loved one may have COVID. They will do no one any good sitting in your medicine cabinet.”
You should take a COVID test if you have symptoms of COVID-19 — sore throat, cough, congestion, fever, fatigue — to help determine what illness you have and what treatment you might need. But keep in mind that you may need to repeat the test a few times over multiple days to get the most accurate results, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
You should also consider taking a rapid COVID-19 test before attending a gathering, especially if high-risk friends or family members will be present, Ranney said.
Worried about the expiration date on your COVID test? The FDA has extended the expiration date of many COVID tests, so you may be able to use it after the date on the box. The FDA website has a list of extended COVID test expiration dates.
Symptoms of COVID 2024
These are currently the most common symptoms of COVID, according to the CDC:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- New loss of taste or smell
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
But taking a COVID test when you have these symptoms isn’t the only way to reduce spread of the virus. You can also make gatherings safer by prioritizing good air flow, holding events outside (if weather allows) and wearing a high-quality mask in crowded areas, Ranney suggested.
The newly updated COVID-19 vaccine and treatment options like Paxlovid, also remain helpful tools in preventing the spread of the virus.
