As COVID-19 cases surge once again in the U.S., Americans are adopting a familiar precautionary measure: administering rapid at-home tests to screen for the virus.
Many individuals still possess the test kits distributed by the government to households for free, especially as certain schools and businesses are once again requiring testing. However, some COVID-19 tests have expiration dates that have already passed, leading to concerns about their effectiveness.
While test kits were previously in short supply, they are now more readily available but come with a cost, typically around $25 for a pack of two tests. The White House recently provided free rapid at-home COVID-19 test kits to Americans as part of their “winter preparedness plan.”
The good news is that some expired COVID-19 test kits may still be effective. Here’s how to determine if your COVID-19 test is safe to use. Additionally, both insured and uninsured individuals can still obtain free testing.
Why did the FDA extend expiration dates?
The Food and Drug Administration has a list of authorized over-the-counter COVID-19 diagnostic tests that indicates whether the expiration date on the packaging is valid or if it has been extended.
The FDA has extended the expiration dates of several test brands after manufacturers tested their kits for accuracy beyond the printed expiration dates and shared the results with the FDA.
Refer to the FDA’s full list of test-kit expiration date extensions here.
Which test brands can you use after they’ve “expired”?
Abbott’s widely used BinaxNow COVID-19 test kits now have a shelf life of up to 22 months, depending on their manufacturing date. Abbott informed customers that previously purchased kits may now have a longer expiration date. You can check the attached list here by searching for the lot number to see if your BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Self Test kit has an updated expiration date.
The Flowflex COVID-19 Antigen Home Test from Acon Laboratories can also be used past its printed expiration date. The FDA granted an extension to these tests in March, allowing them to be used for an additional year past their expiration dates.
What happens if a COVID-19 test is truly expired?
For tests like Ellume’s COVID-19 Home Test, users should follow the expiration date printed on the packaging. According to the FDA, if a test has truly expired, its results cannot be trusted.
“COVID-19 tests and their components may degrade or break down over time. As a result, expired test kits could provide inaccurate or invalid results,” stated the FDA on their website.
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