There’s an opportunity your take a look at end result might present up as invalid. This means the take a look at didn’t work. If this occurred together with your first take a look at, you possibly can attempt once more with the second within the field (although you’ll want to purchase one other pack to take a look at once more).
Should You Report Your Positive Result?
Per the CDC, there presently aren’t any methods in place that require you to report a optimistic at-home take a look at end result to public well being authorities. But as we talked about earlier than, it’s strongly inspired that you just contact your well being care supplier to be sure you obtain the correct medical care and remedy. You also can test whether or not your native well being division provides a web-based self-reporting kind.
How Should I Store At-Home Covid Tests?
As you’re stocking up on assessments, it’s essential to be sure the kits are saved correctly to keep away from false-negative outcomes. Most at-home fast assessments needs to be stored in a dry location (out of direct daylight) the place the temperature is between about 35 levels and 86 levels Fahrenheit. But yow will discover directions for particular assessments you’re utilizing by way of the producer’s directions that include every package.
According to the FDA, “the test performance will remain stable when tests are stored at various temperatures, including shipping during the summer in very hot regions and in the winter in very cold regions.” However, you shouldn’t use a fast take a look at if it’s nonetheless chilly after being uncovered to freezing temperatures. Instead, convey it inside and go away it in an space at room temperature for 2 hours earlier than opening it.
Make positive fast assessments are stored out of youngsters’s attain too, for the reason that small vial and cap could be choking hazards. Additionally, as per the National Poison Control Center, the answer discovered within the vials included with a number of fast antigen kits (resembling BinaxNow, Flowflex, and BD Veritor) makes use of sodium azide as a preservative agent—which could be poisonous if ingested in low doses. While the quantity of sodium azide in fast assessments is simply too low to be thought of toxic, it could nonetheless trigger irritation when uncovered to the eyes, nostril, or pores and skin (together with chemical burns).
Check the Expiration Dates
It’s essential to pay shut consideration to the expiration date of at-home fast take a look at kits. Typically, that is discovered on the skin of the take a look at’s packaging, labeled “Exp” or with an hourglass icon. But since some assessments have been granted an prolonged shelf life by the FDA, the date you see on the packaging would possibly now not be correct. Below, we’ve listed which assessments now have an extended shelf life and their new expiration interval. The new shelf life of every take a look at is barely relevant in the event that they’re saved correctly (as famous above).
- Abbott BinaxNow Antigen Rapid Self-Test Kit: Expires after 15 months; Check the brand new expiration date in accordance to your lot quantity here.
- FlowFlex Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Test: Expires after 16 months; Check the brand new expiration date based mostly on the printed date here.
- Intrivo Diagnostics On/Go Antigen Self-Test: Expires after 12 months; Check the brand new expiration date in accordance to your lot quantity here.
- iHealth Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Test: Expires after nine months; Check the brand new expiration of your take a look at package by typing within the lot quantity (*11*).
- BD Veritor Digital Test Kit: Expires after 10 months; Check the brand new expiration date here.
- Detect Covid-19 Starter Kit: Expires after eight months; Check the brand new expiration date here.
