Redwood City – With kids back in school and end-of-summer travel at our near record levels (along with a lot of close contact), you might be wondering if it’s time to break out a COVID-19 test kit if you or a loved one gets a fever, sore throat or other symptoms.
If you do, be sure to check the expiration date. Many test kits distributed free of charge by the U.S. government or continue to be available from other public agencies may be expired or nearing their expiration date.
The good news is that the Food and Drug Administration has extended the expiration dates for a number of test kits by certain manufacturers.
“An extended expiration date means the manufacturer provided data showing that the shelf-life is longer than was known when the test was first authorized,” according to the FDA.
The FDA lists authorized at-home tests with information on whether the expiration date has been extended for certain manufacturers.
The site includes information on expiration dates (as well as additional details, such as how to administer each test) for three dozen manufacturers.
For more information about how the expiration date is determined and why it may be extended, see the At-Home COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests: Frequently Asked Questions.
Helpful links:
What To Do If You Were Exposed to COVID-19
What Your At-Home Over-the-Counter COVID-19 Test Results Mean
Michelle Durand
Chief Communications Officer
mdurand@smcgov.org