Beginning in late September, a set of 4 free Covid-19 check kits can as soon as once more be ordered on-line from the US authorities with only a few clicks and mailed on to your house. The kits will be despatched to each family within the US—even US territories and navy addresses. As a result of you possibly can nonetheless catch and unfold the virus even in case you’ve been vaccinated in opposition to the present variant, it is good to have exams readily available so you will discover out in case you’ve been contaminated.
In case you want a check proper now, we have now a information to discovering the perfect at-home tests and have outlined the method of ordering and taking exams beneath. Additionally, see our guides to the best N95 masks and different reusable masks we like.
Desk of Contents
Order Your Checks
Head on to the US Postal Service’s Covid-19 page. In case you undergo Covid.gov, on the entrance web page it’s best to see “Order Free At-House Checks” in a blue bubble. Clicking that redirects you to the USPS’ order web page. There, you may fill out your title and tackle. Embrace your e-mail tackle so you will get delivery notifications. As soon as you’ve got stuffed in your tackle, click on the “Test Out Now” button to the fitting. The exams are fully free, together with delivery. Just one particular person per family ought to place a request.
If there’s somebody in your life who does not have entry to the web, the simplest factor to do is to fill out this kind for them. They’ll attempt to name the Covid.gov helpline at 1-877-696-6775, although they are going to probably be on maintain for some time. Do not name USPS, as nobody you converse to will be capable of place orders in your behalf.
Your exams ought to arrive inside a couple of days. There is no assure as to what model you may be getting, and you may’t select, however the web site says these are Meals and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved at-home speedy antigen exams. It’s potential you’ll obtain the iHealth tests we recommend.
It’s best to take a check as quickly as you begin to discover signs or inside 5 days of publicity, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In case you’re asymptomatic and your first check is damaging, take one other check based mostly on the producer’s directions. That is normally inside two days of the primary check—most exams include two exams per field because of this. In case your check is constructive, take one other check to confirm it and quarantine for five days.
Are Your Previous Checks Expired?
You may have already got a couple of exams readily available from previous authorities shipments or that you’ve got purchased individually. They’re probably wonderful to make use of. Check the FDA’s list of approved at-home exams. If the expiration date was prolonged, meaning the producer supplied information to the FDA exhibiting that the shelf-life is longer than it thought when the check was first approved.
Do You Want a Check Proper Now?
In case you want a check ASAP, please test our information on Rapid At-Home Covid-19 Tests and Where to Find Them. It additionally has extra details about accuracy. Speedy exams normally present ends in about quarter-hour, and so they’re about 85 p.c correct.
The Checks We Advocate (see our guide for extra retailers).