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Covid home testing

We have ALL your misinformation, plus some TRUE FACTS and SCIENCE.
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pipistrelle
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Re: Covid home testing

#76

Post by pipistrelle »

I may be an outlier but I’m not ordering tests. So far I’ve not had COVID that I know of and I don’t think it’d be a good use for them to sit here. I am exposed to people in the elevator once or twice a day, a handful of people at work a couple days a week, and occasionally (more rarely with omicron) I eat out. I wear an N95 on any public transportation. Most of the time I’m a hermit. Either I’ve been lucky or distancing, masks, and three Pfizers work.
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Re: Covid home testing

#77

Post by bill_g »

pipistrelle wrote: Sat Feb 05, 2022 9:52 am I may be an outlier but I’m not ordering tests. So far I’ve not had COVID that I know of and I don’t think it’d be a good use for them to sit here. I am exposed to people in the elevator once or twice a day, a handful of people at work a couple days a week, and occasionally (more rarely with omicron) I eat out. I wear an N95 on any public transportation. Most of the time I’m a hermit. Either I’ve been lucky or distancing, masks, and three Pfizers work.
All the more reason to have a couple tests on hand.
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pipistrelle
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Re: Covid home testing

#78

Post by pipistrelle »

bill_g wrote: Sat Feb 05, 2022 10:08 am
pipistrelle wrote: Sat Feb 05, 2022 9:52 am I may be an outlier but I’m not ordering tests. So far I’ve not had COVID that I know of and I don’t think it’d be a good use for them to sit here. I am exposed to people in the elevator once or twice a day, a handful of people at work a couple days a week, and occasionally (more rarely with omicron) I eat out. I wear an N95 on any public transportation. Most of the time I’m a hermit. Either I’ve been lucky or distancing, masks, and three Pfizers work.
All the more reason to have a couple tests on hand.
They’d just expire.
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Re: Covid home testing

#79

Post by Maybenaut »

bill_g wrote: Sat Feb 05, 2022 10:08 am
pipistrelle wrote: Sat Feb 05, 2022 9:52 am I may be an outlier but I’m not ordering tests. So far I’ve not had COVID that I know of and I don’t think it’d be a good use for them to sit here. I am exposed to people in the elevator once or twice a day, a handful of people at work a couple days a week, and occasionally (more rarely with omicron) I eat out. I wear an N95 on any public transportation. Most of the time I’m a hermit. Either I’ve been lucky or distancing, masks, and three Pfizers work.
All the more reason to have a couple tests on hand.
:yeahthat:

I was glad we had tests when my husband got covid. At first we were like, how can it be covid - we hardly ever go anywhere? Obviously, “hardly ever” was doing all the work. So I tested us both - he was positive and I was negative.

That was information I was grateful to have because it helped us to make decisions about interacting, not only with each other, but with other people.

We’re fortunate enough to have adjoining properties so I just went to our cabin. But even if we didn’t, we’d have figured out a way to isolate from each other in our home.

That first day after I did the the tests I went to the store to pick up anything we might need (an oxygen meter is a must-have), food for the house and the cabin, and picked up a few more tests. I knew that was risky because I had been exposed, but I was masked and gloved, and got out of there as quickly as I could. I isolated for the full 10 days, and other than that one trip to the store on the first day, I never left the cabin.

I’m glad we had the tests. I’m glad I replaced the ones we used. I’m glad the government gave me free ones. Over the Memorial Day weekend we’re planning a fairly large gathering of music folk. I’m going to ask everyone to test themselves before they come, and I plan on getting more tests to keep on hand for those who can’t find them (out here where everyone thinks it’s a hoax, tests are plentiful).
"Hey! We left this England place because it was bogus, and if we don't get some cool rules ourselves, pronto, we'll just be bogus too!" -- Thomas Jefferson
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Re: Covid home testing

#80

Post by bill_g »

Maybenaut wrote: Sat Feb 05, 2022 11:03 am
:yeahthat:


I’m glad we had the tests. I’m glad I replaced the ones we used. I’m glad the government gave me free ones. Over the Memorial Day weekend we’re planning a fairly large gathering of music folk. I’m going to ask everyone to test themselves before they come, and I plan on getting more tests to keep on hand for those who can’t find them (out here where everyone thinks it’s a hoax, tests are plentiful).
Here in the Portland metro area, covid tests are as common as chicken teeth.
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Re: Covid home testing

#81

Post by raison de arizona »

raison de arizona wrote: Thu Feb 03, 2022 11:15 am I just got an email that mine will be delivered by Monday. :thumbsup:
The USPS delivers, early?!? Will wonders never cease! We got ours yesterday, on Friday.
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p0rtia
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Re: Covid home testing

#82

Post by p0rtia »

Have we established general rule of thumb about how long the various home COVID test kits are good for before they expire? Six months?

LIke others, I don't go out much. I bought a couple in Dec and have no expectation of needing to use them, so they are for emergencies and friends who might need one and not have one on hand.

I don't want to buy more, because I know they will likely expire, and would prefer others to have them (which, granted, may no longer be an issue.
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pipistrelle
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Re: Covid home testing

#83

Post by pipistrelle »

p0rtia wrote: Sat Feb 05, 2022 12:20 pm Have we established general rule of thumb about how long the various home COVID test kits are good for before they expire? Six months?

LIke others, I don't go out much. I bought a couple in Dec and have no expectation of needing to use them, so they are for emergencies and friends who might need one and not have one on hand.

I don't want to buy more, because I know they will likely expire, and would prefer others to have them (which, granted, may no longer be an issue.
Part of my rationale. I don’t want them sitting here expiring while someone with more exposure needs them.

I live alone, which helps.
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filly
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Re: Covid home testing

#84

Post by filly »

My tests from the gubmint expire in the middle of 2023. You do you but not getting them for fear of expiration makes no sense to me.
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p0rtia
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Re: Covid home testing

#85

Post by p0rtia »

filly wrote: Sat Feb 05, 2022 2:25 pm My tests from the gubmint expire in the middle of 2023. You do you but not getting them for fear of expiration makes no sense to me.
Well I have two tests in my house, which I think is sufficient. My point is I don't think I need more to stockpile, because I literally never go into buildings where other people are (went into the post office twice in December, and a couple of doctors offices, but that's it). When and if I use them or give them away, I will get more.
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Re: Covid home testing

#86

Post by LM K »

Foggy wrote: Wed Feb 02, 2022 4:35 pm It's been a few weeks, but it's the Post Office, and we don't need them yet.

Our Medicare Advantage plans don't provide any, but our kids' plans do. We'll get some that way and gank 'em. :mrgreen:
That's how my Mama is going to get some more. :shh:
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LM K
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Re: Covid home testing

#87

Post by LM K »

pipistrelle wrote: Sat Feb 05, 2022 10:44 am
bill_g wrote: Sat Feb 05, 2022 10:08 am
pipistrelle wrote: Sat Feb 05, 2022 9:52 am I may be an outlier but I’m not ordering tests. So far I’ve not had COVID that I know of and I don’t think it’d be a good use for them to sit here. I am exposed to people in the elevator once or twice a day, a handful of people at work a couple days a week, and occasionally (more rarely with omicron) I eat out. I wear an N95 on any public transportation. Most of the time I’m a hermit. Either I’ve been lucky or distancing, masks, and three Pfizers work.
All the more reason to have a couple tests on hand.
They’d just expire.
You don't know that. At all.

Your aren't a hermit. Not one bit.

I had a cold 2 weeks ago. The ONLY way to know it was a cold was to test repeatedly. Allergy season will soon be upon us.

So what if the tests expire. The entire reason the gov is sending out tests is so people have tests IF they need tests. You don't know you need the tests ... until you need the tests.

Complacency is what's kicking our asses.

I'm going to post this article in the appropriate thread, but posting the link here seems to be a good idea.

The enduring nightmare of being a COVID ‘long-hauler’ nearly 2 years — and 27 doctors — in
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Suranis
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Re: Covid home testing

#88

Post by Suranis »

Just an opinion - I've become rather less than enthusiastic about Home testing, as I'm convinced at least half the people don't do it right. There is no way to separate the "barely touch the nostril" people from the "scraping the back end of the skull" people. And worse, that skews official statistics one way or another.

That's all. Carry on.
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LM K
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Re: Covid home testing

#89

Post by LM K »




(UK residents gets one kit per day per household. Each kit ... 7 tests. Each household can get 49 tests per week if they want to order daily.)
Everyone in England without symptoms can access free home testing kits for coronavirus (COVID-19). You can use these lateral flow kits to test yourself for the virus at home.

Around one in three people with coronavirus don't have any symptoms but can still infect others. You're at higher risk of catching or passing on the virus in crowded and enclosed spaces, where there are more people who might be infectious, and if there is limited fresh air. Even if you're vaccinated, you can still pass on coronavirus.

You should take a rapid lateral flow test if you expect you'll be in a period of high risk that day, particularly if you're visiting people who are at higher risk of severe illness if they were infected with coronavirus. Taking a free lateral flow test before a period of high risk will give you peace of mind that you're unlikely to be infectious with coronavirus and it's unlikely you'll spread the virus.
:snippity:

Ordering home test kits online
You can order test kits online to be sent to your home. Each test kit contains seven tests and you can order one test kit per household each day.
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Re: Covid home testing

#90

Post by RTH10260 »

So how long is that COVID test really good for?

Ultimately, it comes down to which type of test you have.

The BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card test, for example, recently received FDA approval for an extended shelf-life after testing showed the kits were good for up to 15 months. Each brand marks its at-home test kits with their own expiration dates on the packaging.

According to Dr. David Dowdy, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, it’s usually the components on the testing strip that expires.

But what if your kit expires before you use it?

Both Dowdy and OhioHealth Infectious Disease Expert Dr. Joseph Gastaldo recommend avoiding expired tests because the results can be skewed.



in https://www.newsnationnow.com/health/co ... ests-last/
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Lani
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Re: Covid home testing

#91

Post by Lani »

I got my 4 tests because I flew to a neighbor island for a special event with a family member. My flight back was crammed - barely an empty seat. I wanted to be tested in 3 to 5 days after returning before I was in contact with others. (That didn't happen. I couldn't get tests on my island - lines too long. Had to order on line.)

I'm basically a hermit as well, but some people who got omicron told me they had no idea how they got it. Wore masks, rarely went out, stayed far apart from others, etc.
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Re: Covid home testing

#92

Post by LM K »

I just stumbled across this a few hours ago.
Medicare will cover at-home COVID tests for beneficiaries. Medicare's 64 million beneficiaries will be able to get up to eight free at-home COVID-19 tests per month starting early this spring, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on Feb. 3. The tests will be available at pharmacies and other stores that participate in the program, which applies both to people with original Medicare and those enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. Exact dates of the program's launch have not been announced. Private insurers are already covering the cost of at-home test kits for their enrollees under new federal guidelines. Until the new Medicare program begins, beneficiaries can still request four free over-the-counter tests delivered to their homes through the federal government website covidtests.gov. COVID-19 tests ordered by health care providers will continue to be covered at no cost for Medicare beneficiaries. CMS has more information on the new program here.
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Re: Covid home testing

#93

Post by bill_g »

Went Costco shopping yesterday, and was pleased to find a whole pallet of home tests near the entry. Flowflex 15 minute five pack for $34.99 a pack. Limit three per customer.

It was nearly a 7ft stack of test packages, and I seemed to be the only one interested in looking at them. No one was tapping their toe, or reaching past me, as I read the box carefully, and Googled the product reviews. Perhaps they had already stockpiled theirs weeks ago.

The expiry is JAN2023. I got two packs even though I have some arriving someday from the USPS. My health care plan says it will reimburse my purchase.

I tried one last night. Pictograms along with English and Spanish text demonstrate the procedure. Fairly straight forward, and there's a video available for others needing further assistance. I came up negative.
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Re: Covid home testing

#94

Post by Foggy »

I love happy endings! :cheer1:
Out from under. :thumbsup:
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Sam the Centipede
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Re: Covid home testing

#95

Post by Sam the Centipede »

Expiry dates are always very cautious, so I would not worry about using a test that was a month or even several months out of date. The antibodies in the test are reasonably stable, but all complex biochemical molecules naturally degrade. So store them as per instructions: cool, dry place.

Use an out of date test if that's all you have and pay attention to the control (C) strip - if that's not sharp, it's no good. A positive is almost certainly a true positive (the tests are very specific). But, as always, treat a negative with caution: it might be a false negative for several reasons (not shedding virus, too early or late in the disease, dodgy sample, sample not transferred into the buffer solution, etc.) or false because, yes, the test has degraded and the broken antibodies no longer recognize the virus's antigens.
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Re: Covid home testing

#96

Post by RTH10260 »

If you are sitting on a out-of-date test then it is very likely you have another outdated test. Use two and look if the resutls match (of course both could be equally useless ;) ).
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Re: Covid home testing

#97

Post by filly »

p0rtia wrote: Sat Feb 05, 2022 2:37 pm
filly wrote: Sat Feb 05, 2022 2:25 pm My tests from the gubmint expire in the middle of 2023. You do you but not getting them for fear of expiration makes no sense to me.
Well I have two tests in my house, which I think is sufficient. My point is I don't think I need more to stockpile, because I literally never go into buildings where other people are (went into the post office twice in December, and a couple of doctors offices, but that's it). When and if I use them or give them away, I will get more.

Well I wasn’t addressing you.
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Re: Covid home testing

#98

Post by W. Kevin Vicklund »

Our free test kits finally arrived today. Ordered on the first day, even.
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Re: Covid home testing

#99

Post by Sam the Centipede »

Woke up this morning bunged up, a bit bleeuggh. I'd had no contacts with other people for several days (been at home alone) but this morning I had an appointment to help repair some footbridges.

Chances of my crappiness being Covid? Very low. But I took a lateral flow test, carefully swabbed and processed. Clear negative so I could go.to meet my fellow volunteers knowing that I wasn't spreading anything horrible.

For me, that's part of being socially responsible. It's a good reason for having them in the house.

(Yes. I know about false negatives!)
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Re: Covid home testing

#100

Post by bill_g »

I finally got my free gummint tests in the mail yesterday. Woohoo! Two boxes of two tests. With the ten I got from Costco, we are in a home test rich environment.
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