Let’s pretend you woke up this morning with a sore throat, a headache, and body aches. You are needed at work, but you work at a nursing home. Sure, it may just be allergies, but it could also be COVID-19. Since you work in close quarters with at-risk elderly patients, you decide to be cautious and get tested for COVID-19, just to be safe. However, all medical offices near you are booked until the end of the week, and at-home tests are sold out everywhere. Do you risk it and go to work anyway? This is a scenario people are faced with regularly right now.
As infection rates rise and fall, the chaos continues. Controversy arises from conflicting opinions regarding all things COVID-19. Should we get vaccinated? Should we wear masks? Does social distancing actually work? The opinions and ideas vary across the nation. Amongst the confusion, one thing remains true: people are still contracting COVID-19 everywhere. The demand for COVID-19 tests is at an all time high. We test when we feel symptoms. We test when we are exposed. We test before traveling. We even test when we are in recovery and need to know if it is safe to return to normal life. In short, massive quantities of COVID-19 tests are needed every day.
During a time of such increased demand for COVID-19 tests, the citizens of the United States have received some good news. According to VOA News, “The Biden administration will soon require health care insurers to cover the costs of up to eight home test kits per person per month.” Under normal circumstances, this would be greatly beneficial to the United States.
However, it is incredibly difficult to get an at-home test right now. Jennifer Avegno, New Orleans Health Department Director, says, “We placed an order for tens of thousands of tests almost a month ago, but have yet to receive it.” The national shortage of tests is causing an abundance of setbacks, and unfortunately, it is unknown when the issue will be resolved.
For the time being, there is an official U.S. Government website that offers four free at-home COVID-19 tests to be shipped to you. While waiting on the shortage to resolve, be sure to visit COVIDtests.gov – Free at-home COVID-19 tests to order your free tests. Fingers crossed you don’t need more than four before they are replenished!