Government Reopens Free At-Home COVID Testing Program

U.S. households will be able to order four more coronavirus tests in late September

Rachel Nania,

AARP

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Published September 03, 2024

conducting a covid and disease test with a set and arm on a white background

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People in the U.S. will once again be able to get free at-home COVID-19 tests from the federal government, just in time for the start of respiratory virus season.

Toward the end of this month, each household will be eligible to order four tests at COVIDTests.gov that will be shipped directly to their residence. Public health officials confirmed that these tests are capable of detecting the latest coronavirus variants circulating and causing infections.

Tests remain a key tool for older adults

Doctors and public health experts have long stressed that testing is especially important for older adults who experience fever, cough, sore throat or other symptoms that could signal COVID-19. The main reason is “so that they can get an antiviral as soon as possible,” said Jodie Guest, a professor and senior vice chair in the department of epidemiology at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health.

COVID risks increase with age

According to the CDC, age is the most important risk factor for serious complications from COVID-19, and the risk increases substantially after age 65.

In clinical trials and real-world studies, antiviral treatments have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of hospitalization and death in people at high risk for severe illness, a population that includes older adults.

For a medication to be effective, “it needs to be taken early in the course of your illness,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Mandy Cohen, M.D., said in a recent news briefing. According to the CDC, treatment should be started within five to seven days of when COVID symptoms start.

Paxlovid, the most commonly used oral antiviral, is free through the end of 2024 for people with Medicare or Medicaid through a U.S. government patient assistance program operated by the drug’s maker, Pfizer. The treatment is also free for people without health insurance through a patient assistance program. [Read more about how to access COVID-19 treatments on AARP.org.]

Testing for COVID if you’re not feeling well can help prevent the spread of the illness, since it’s recommended that individuals with an infection stay away from others until they’re feeling better and symptoms, including fever, have subsided for at least 24 hours.

“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,” said Dawn O’Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). “Taking a quick test is a great way for all of us to keep our friends, family and loved ones protected,” especially as the weather turns cooler and people head indoors.

More than 900 million at-home tests have been distributed through the COVIDTests.gov program, O’Connell said.

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Free tests follow new COVID vaccine approvals

The testing program reopens on the heels of the rollout of updated COVID-19 vaccines. Reformulated vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Novavax were federally approved in August and have been making their way to pharmacies and clinics nationwide.

The shots target more recent versions of the coronavirus that contributed to the summer surge that’s stretching into early fall, and health officials recommend that everyone 6 months and older get the updated vaccines.

“Given the waning immunity of the population from previous exposure to the virus and from prior vaccination, we strongly encourage those who are eligible to consider receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants,” said Peter Marks, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).