Off Topic: Free COVID-19 Tests

Kaight | Sep 25, 2023 | 1,192 posts since 2011

Today (September 25th) is the first day to order four new COVID-19 tests for free in this latest offering by the government. So I figured "why not?". I'm sharing my experience here to help you decide what you're going to do:

I visited the website, filled out the simple form, and in went my order straightaway with promise shipping would commence 2nd of October. It was only after I placed my order that they provided me this unanticipated notice:

Tests may show “expired” dates on the box, but FDA has extended those dates

Had I known this in advance I would not have been so quick on the trigger to get my order in early. This post is for your information only. It is not advice. Do whatever you believe is best for you . . . and good luck.

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choice1 | Sep 25, 2023 | 372 posts since 2023

Luv day-old bread!

Ally6770 | Sep 25, 2023 | 4,310 posts since 2010

I have some from Costco that has been extended a year. These extended dates have been on the sites for months now. Many have or had been extended for a few months. The ones from Costco were extended a full year. THE CDC has had a chart on them for months. The place where you filled out your form today also has a link for types of tests people may have at home. Also if you do not see the name of your box on that site put the name brand in the browser to pull it up and look at the code on the box and see when yours will expire for the extended timeline. I had one box that I had to use before Aug 30 when it expired for the extended period. My box from Costco expires 12 months after the time on the box. That is just like most prescriptions you pick up at the pharmacy. They are good for 1 year from when you pick it up is what my pharmacist told me. If you listened to the TV news local and national the announcer said your box MAY SAY IT IS EXPIRED BUT IT IS EXTENDED to AT LEAST THE END OF THE YEAR. The site you signed up on this morning has a link with many brand names.

me1004 | Sep 25, 2023 | 1,381 posts since 2010

They have been doing that all aloing. They changed the expiration dates early on, decided they actually worked longer.

Can you please post the URL here. These tests costs a good amount if you have to buy them.

What they give out will probably have only a couple-few months of time left to use it; they are giving them out at the tail end of their time, might as well give them away rather than let them expire without anyone getting to use them.

Kaight | Sep 25, 2023 | 1,192 posts since 2011

Well, I was wrong. And when you're wrong it is best to 'fess up.

Your post forced me to go back to the website you requested, which is where I placed my order:

https://special.usps.com/testkits

Lo and behold, there is the warning bold as brass and visible BEFORE you place your order. I just blew right past the warning and too quickly scrolled down to fill in my information. Stupid. Oh, well. I messed up. :-(

Ally6770 | Sep 25, 2023 | 4,310 posts since 2010

COVIDTESTS.gov

me1004 | Sep 25, 2023 | 1,381 posts since 2010

Just FYI, both Kaight's URL and Ally6770's are correct. They both will land you at Kaight's in order to place the order.

Meanwhile, not sure people are understanding the expiration date. They decided up front in Covid that the tests actually last longer than they thought. They have a Website to look up your test, and see if it lasts longer than the date on the box. Whichever is longer is the date it is rated to last until.

Not all of them have been extended, so if your's is not on the list, then the date on the box is it. I suspect the more time that passes, the fewer that will be on the list since the boxes will have been made after the longer freshness date was known. In fact, at this point, maybe none of them will be on the list, the box will prevail. AND, if you get one or even more that don't work for you, nothing lost anyway, they were free. I had one fail a couple months ago when I wanted to check -- it gave no result, not a negative result. So, it did not inform me wrongly.

Here is the URL to check the freshment date extensions:

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagn...

senda | Sep 25, 2023 | 126 posts since 2015

Thanks for the heads up. Never hurts to have them and the pharmacies are now charging $$ for them so glad there will be 4 free again via the post office.

I can attest to the expired date thing... one occasional job I do requires testing still, and ones that have been labelled as expired still work.

Hint: to make sure the "result" lines come out nice and dark, especially in the older but "still good" tests, make sure and press the q-tip against the inside wall of the vial before taking it out, to squeeze as much as you can from the q-tip back into the vial (before then putting drops from the vial into the test itself). There were times where the result "lines" were pretty light/hard to read, but then someone told me to make sure to squeeze as much out of the qtip into the vial as possible by pressing it against the inner wall of the vile. Doing that, the "result" lines are always clear and easy to read

Ally6770 | Oct 2, 2023 | 4,310 posts since 2010

Just got home and found the new COVID tests had been delivered 2 days early.
The expiration date has been extended and expires on 2/02/24. You can do a search on your browser and ask naming the name of the test that is on the box for the extended expiration date. Look for the number requested. I found this to be the quickest way.

Kaight | Oct 5, 2023 | 1,192 posts since 2011

My two test kits finally arrived today . . . . with an early July expiration date! Gosh do I feel stupid for having ordered quickly. What an idiot.

Oh, sure, they included reassurance that the expirations have been extended by the FDA. They have no clue how little faith I have in today's FDA. The phony expiration excuse was in Spanish, too. My bogus test kits should have been reserved for some of the millions of illegals now here. What a SNAFU . . . . in fact FUBAR. And worst of all, I did this to myself.

Ally6770 | Oct 5, 2023 | 4,310 posts since 2010

LOOK for the extended expiration date on the internet. Put the name on the box in your browse and ask for the extended expiration date. It will take you to their site. Then look for the number they ask you for and look for it and it will tell you the new expiration date. Every of the tests come with Spanish and in English instructions and sometimes in many other languages. People that speak English are not the only people in the country. Read the answers on this site. THINK but you get upset. YOU MUST HAVE HEARD ON THE NEWS, READ IN THE NEWSPAPER OR ON THE INTERNET HOW ALL TESTS HAVE BEEN EXTENDED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. Mine also had an original expiration of July 2 of 2023 but the new EXPIRATION DATE Feb 2 2024. Think before you complain.

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