The federal web site to order free speedy coronavirus assessments went stay on Tuesday, forward of its scheduled Wednesday launch.
Covidtests.gov is an try by the Biden administration to treatment nationwide shortages of such at-home assessments, with the president pledging the federal government will present tens of millions of such kits to People totally free in coming months.
Right here’s what it is advisable to learn about ordering at-home COVID-19 assessments by means of the federal authorities’s web site:
1. The method is easy
The very first thing to know: The web site is already taking orders. White Home press secretary Jen Psaki stated on Tuesday that the web site was in “beta testing” and working at a “restricted capability” forward of its official launch on Wednesday. She added that the administration was anticipating having to deal with a “bug or two.”
I visited the location this morning — earlier than Psaki confirmed it was taking orders — and was in a position to request free assessments. I even obtained an e mail affirmation of my order.
All I did was go to https://www.covidtests.gov/, sort in my identify, e mail deal with and delivery deal with. I’m scheduled to obtain 4 speedy at-home COVID-19 antigen assessments. You possibly can choose to offer your e mail deal with to obtain delivery updates. An order affirmation will even be despatched to this e mail deal with.
The web site won’t course of multiple order for a similar deal with. Should you attempt doing that, you’ll get this notification: “At-home COVID-19 assessments have already been ordered for this deal with. Our data present that at-home COVID-19 assessments have already been ordered for this deal with. We’re unable to course of duplicate orders for a similar deal with.”
My order affirmation:
A screenshot of my at-home COVID-19 take a look at order.
(Anumita Kaur)
2. Assume a number of weeks down the street
President Biden introduced final month that his administration will push to ship 500 million at-home assessments amid criticism over his pandemic response and strained testing availability. Final week, he stated that the administration will double the quantity to 1 billion assessments. The administration has stated the primary batch of these orders will start delivery late this month.
The federal authorities web site limits every family to 4 assessments, and there shall be a wait to get them. Officers stated assessments will normally ship through the U.S. Postal Service inside seven to 12 days.
Lindsey Dawson, affiliate director of the Kaiser Household Basis, stated folks ought to take into consideration whether or not they’ll want the assessments in coming weeks and months.
“Should you’re going to high school, in the event you’re partaking with folks exterior your family, in the event you’re utilizing public transportation—there’s a complete vary of ways in which folks is likely to be in danger for contracting COVID, so it is smart to have some at dwelling,” Dawson stated in an interview.
3. Don’t take the assessments for kicks
The Facilities for Illness Management recommends utilizing an at-home take a look at you probably have a fever, sore throat, runny nostril, or lack of style or scent.
The company additionally recommends folks take a take a look at at the very least 5 days inside having come into contact with somebody with COVID-19 and earlier than gathering with a gaggle of individuals, particularly these in danger for getting significantly sick.
4. Non-public insurances are required to reimburse for at-home assessments, too
4 assessments per deal with won’t meet everybody’s wants.
If a family requires extra assessments, folks should buy them and get reimbursed by their non-public insurance coverage carriers. Non-public insurance coverage carriers are required to to reimburse the price of as much as eight assessments monthly.
5. Frequent testing doesn’t substitute different COVID-19 precautions
Dawson stated testing shouldn’t be sufficient to forestall COVID-19 from spreading. Such at-home assessments “ought to be used along with different danger discount methods,” together with getting vaccinated and carrying masks in crowded or public settings, Dawson stated.
Biden is predicted to announce a plan this week to make high-quality face masks obtainable totally free. Public well being consultants have repeatedly warned that fabric masks don’t present sufficient safety in opposition to the extra contagious Omicron variant, recommending that individuals put on N95 or KN95 masks.
