WEDNESDAY, Sept. 25, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- As Americans get ready for fall and winter, the U.S.
government is offering another round of free COVID tests, available by the end of this month. "U.S.
households will be eligible to order 4 free COVID-19 tests at COVIDTests.gov ," according to the Department of Health and Human Services. "The COVID-19 tests will detect current COVID-19 variants and can be used through the end of the year.
" More than 900 million such tests have already been distributed to help folks get tested and treated earlier, and to perhaps keep them from spreading COVID to others. If you've never tested for COVID before, the nasal-swab kits are easy to use. "At-home COVID tests can be taken at home or in other locations and typically provide results within 30 minutes or less," according to the HHS.
"COVID tests can be administered to both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals." Testing may come in handy as gatherings for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas push people into close proximity. “The best plan going into this winter is for everyone to remain vigilant, to use the tools we have: vaccines, testing, treatment against the illnesses responsible for the majority of fall and winter deaths and hospitalizations,” Dr.
Mandy Cohen , director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Friday, CNN reported.
And don't forget vaccines. The latest, strain-specific formulation of COVID vaccine is now available, in both the RNA form (Moder.
