Free Covid Home Test program resuming Monday

[LuvOrlando]

The program for free Covid tests is resuming Monday the 25th.

https://www.covid.gov/tests

 

[Jennasis]

Excellent! The Ro Ro finally caught me this week (got it at Disney) so our stash is running low.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

The two I have are out of date, so this is welcome news.

 

[DisneyPanthersFan]

Thank you for sharing that - I hadn't heard! I think we only have 1 left so this is helpful news.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Thanks for the heads-up!

 

[MamaMermaid]

Good news! I had Covid a few weeks ago - back to school season is no joke!

 

[leebee]

Good news! I had Covid a few weeks ago - back to school season is no joke!

Sorry you had covid and hope you are feeling better. You aren't kidding about back to school season! All 5 of us are sick with "whatever it is." People can say what they like about masking, but I sure enjoyed a couple of years without having a cold, no flu, no seasonal allergies, no "Back to School Creeping Crud," etc.!

 

[MamaMermaid]

Sorry you had covid and hope you are feeling better. You aren't kidding about back to school season! All 5 of us are sick with "whatever it is." People can say what they like about masking, but I sure enjoyed a couple of years without having a cold, no flu, no seasonal allergies, no "Back to School Creeping Crud," etc.!

It's been REALLY bad this year. I'm a high school teacher and my son is in kindergarten at the school down the street - kids are dropping like flies and missing multiple days at both schools! Hope you all feel better ASAP!!!

I actually miss the masks -- I was NEVER sick when we were masking at school! EVER. Didn't get covid, a cold, nothing.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I actually miss the masks

You know you can resume wearing a mask if you would like to, right?

 

[lilmc]

The two I have are out of date, so this is welcome news.

I haven’t looked into it yet since mine are still in date, but I heard that they had a list again of extended expiration dates.

 

[MamaMermaid]

You know you can resume wearing a mask if you would like to, right?

Dang, the sass.

 

[Disneychick75]

No thank-you

 

[darnheather]

You know you can resume wearing a mask if you would like to, right?

While it helps to wear a mask when you aren't sick it helps more when people who are sick wear them too.

 

[Christine]

While it helps to wear a mask when you aren't sick it helps more when people who are sick wear them too.

Exactly. I think they missed the part where no one got really sick for 2 years because so many people were masking.

 

[shh]

To be clear, can you still get free at home tests? I visited links and they were all about testing centers.

 

[disneychrista]

To be clear, can you still get free at home tests? I visited links and they were all about testing centers.

The giveaway starts on Monday 9/25

 

[RedHead0186]

To be clear, can you still get free at home tests? I visited links and they were all about testing centers.

The program resumes on Monday the 25th.

 

[shh]

Ah...didn't realize the website wouldn't update until then...I'm just now seeing the message at top of their screen: for some reason, it didn't appear the 1st time I clicked the link until I refreshed. Thank you both!

 

[LuvOrlando]

I'm really grateful it is being brought back, those tests are expensive so I imagine it was hard on families to pick these over groceries or gas with prices so high. SInce I'm high risk we kept the tests on hand but there has been a hesitancy to use them now unless every single symptom box was checked.

When I got Covid in July not a single one of the symptoms lined up as expected, I probably would have tested faster if I had more tests on hand. There was no coughing but a ridiculous amount of sneezing I assumed was allergies in my family so I didn't test or avoid avoid my family, I was looking for the coughing I saw in the past. I also didn't recognize the incredible dryness as a symptom. At first, I thought the AC was too high or the fans near me we just drying me out, or more Canada smoke. Also, very light pinkish tinge with teeny amount of white gel in the eyes I wrote off to Canada fire smoke in the area, and my eyes are still the teensiest bit red BTW. I only tested when my airway dried like I inhaled a plate of chalk & voice changed drastically overnight but there was also so much sniffling, it was so odd. At that point I woke up I was terrified because I could feel it in my lower chest near my lungs. Thank God for the Plaxlovid, stopped all that in its tracks within hours, I was hours from calling an Ambulance, not exaggerating. Fever NEVER got above 100.8 and I was expecting a high fever. However, my pulse rate was telltale with the pulse OX went from my normal 82 up to 114-116 and stayed there when I was sick/positive on the tests and dropped along with negative results and the Plaxlovid working, at least for me.

Thing is that at this point it seems every variant can be so very different that it is tough to trust symptoms as a gauge, whatever one I got was completely different. Since tons of sneezing simply wasn't on my radar I didn't react but it was definitely the Hallmark of whatever one we got from overseas contact, so now, to me, anything weird enough to get my attention should be tested. I am super grateful the program is back because it shouldn't just be the people who can afford the tests who have access to the tests for themselves and their families.

I always mask in stores, strangers don't care about me so I don't trust their decisions. I'm ok with other people making their own choices mask or no mask because me using my good KN95 mask in public and K95 at hospitals kept me safe in public this whole time. I got sick home when I made a choice to drop my guard home foolishly thinking it was gone, it ain't.

 

[anniemae]

I'm really grateful it is being brought back, those tests are expensive so I imagine it was hard on families to pick these over groceries or gas with prices so high. SInce I'm high risk we kept the tests on hand but there has been a hesitancy to use them now unless every single symptom box was checked.

When I got Covid in July not a single one of the symptoms lined up as expected, I probably would have tested faster if I had more tests on hand. There was no coughing but a ridiculous amount of sneezing I assumed was allergies in my family so I didn't test or avoid avoid my family, I was looking for the coughing I saw in the past. I also didn't recognize the incredible dryness as a symptom. At first, I thought the AC was too high or the fans near me we just drying me out, or more Canada smoke. Also, very light pinkish tinge with teeny amount of white gel in the eyes I wrote off to Canada fire smoke in the area, and my eyes are still the teensiest bit red BTW. I only tested when my airway dried like I inhaled a plate of chalk & voice changed drastically overnight but there was also so much sniffling, it was so odd. At that point I woke up I was terrified because I could feel it in my lower chest near my lungs. Thank God for the Plaxlovid, stopped all that in its tracks within hours, I was hours from calling an Ambulance, not exaggerating. Fever NEVER got above 100.8 and I was expecting a high fever. However, my pulse rate was telltale with the pulse OX went from my normal 82 up to 114-116 and stayed there when I was sick/positive on the tests and dropped along with negative results and the Plaxlovid working, at least for me.

Same. I had cold symptoms and tested with a test that was expired that I happened to have at home. I had read that expired tests were still okay to use. I tested negative and assumed I had a cold. Later that week I happened to be at a library a few towns over from me and they had free covid test kits so I grabbed one. Yup, tested positive.