The Biden administration announced Wednesday $600 million in funding for new at-home COVID-19 tests and the restart of the website COVIDTests.gov.
The funding will help to produce 200 million over-the-counter tests to replenish federal stockpiles and meet demand for tests ordered online.
The admin announced that Americans will be able to order up to four free tests per household to make it easier for people to get tested, especially those who may not be able to afford to purchase tests on their own.
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The tests are designed to detect COVID variants currently circulating, and are intended for use by the end of the year. But they will include instructions on how to verify extended expiration dates, the department said.
There are two main types of at-home COVID-19 tests: antigen tests and PCR tests.
- Antigen tests are the most common type of at-home COVID-19 test. They are quick and easy to use, and they provide results in about 15 minutes. Antigen tests are very good at detecting COVID-19 infections when people are symptomatic, but they may not be as accurate at detecting infections in people who have no symptoms.
- PCR tests are more accurate than antigen tests, but they also take longer to produce results. PCR tests typically take 1-2 days to produce results, but some tests can provide results in as little as 30 minutes. PCR tests are good at detecting COVID-19 infections in both symptomatic and asymptomatic people.
To take an at-home COVID-19 test, you will need to collect a sample of your saliva or nasal mucus. The specific instructions for collecting the sample will vary depending on the type of test you are using. Once you have collected the sample, you will follow the instructions on the test kit to process the sample and read the results.
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