September 23, 2024 – Free COVID tests from the federal government will soon be available to order, perhaps as early as today.
Each household is entitled to order 4 tests COVIDTests.gov which will likely be sent to you freed from charge by post. The website says the order will likely be available by the tip of the month. The tests “will detect current COVID-19 variants and can be used through the end of the year,” in accordance with the web site, which appears to have been updated early Monday morning, intermittently returning “server too busy” messages.
The government also made free testing available around this time last yr, although lots of these have now expired. The expiry date of some COVID test kits has been prolonged, and a FDA website offers a search function to envision whether a kit remains to be usable.
“COVID-19 testing can enable you discover if you will have COVID-19 so you possibly can determine what to do next, akin to: “For example, by getting treatment to reduce the risk of serious illness and by taking steps to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to others,” in accordance with the CDC's testing website.
The CDC now recommends that anyone with a positive COVID test take the identical steps as in the event that they test positive for other respiratory illnesses just like the flu, including staying home and distancing themselves from others until symptoms improve and you will have been 24 hours are fever-free without using a fever-reducing medicine akin to Tylenol.
When returning to highschool, work, and other normal activities, the CDC recommends taking additional precautions, akin to: B. increased hand washing, physical distancing and wearing a mask around people indoors. These steps will help protect others who could also be at high risk of severe illness from COVID.
In August, the CDC really useful that everybody 6 months and older get the newest version of the COVID vaccine, which, just like the flu shot, is updated annually to focus on newer strains of the virus. The recordings at the moment are available.
A very persistent COVID surge over the summer is finally on the decline, with 15% of tests reported to the CDC showing positive results. Last yr, the COVID-19 trend began rising again in late October and peaked in January. The season also brings increased risks flu And Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which currently stays at a low level nationwide.