Free COVID tests available again....

[mn54]

Thank you I am never sick (been years since I have had a cold) so feeling kind of odd at the idea. And if I do it means I will have to cancel an important doctor appointment for Thursday I've waited months for.

doesn't it sound odd that you have to cancel a doctor's appointment because you don't feel well? isn't that why you should be going to the doctor?

 

[splitwdw]

mn54, it depends on what kind of doctor. I wouldn't think a heart specialist or oncologist would want to see you if you have covid.

 

[disneysteve]

doesn't it sound odd that you have to cancel a doctor's appointment because you don't feel well? isn't that why you should be going to the doctor?

I don't think it sounds odd at all. If you have a contagious disease like COVID, you certainly don't want to go spread it around to the staff and other patients at the office.

 

[Sunset]

I need to buy a test I guess mine all expired again and I have a fever. . .

I'd use the expired test or 2 of them.

The expiry date is just an estimate and many things last longer.

 

[Alan]

I'd use the expired test or 2 of them.

The expiry date is just an estimate and many things last longer.

Good idea. From what I’ve seen, the same test kits we buy in the UK have at least double the expiration time than in the USA. Every kit here has an issue and expiration date and is 2 years long.

 

[audreyh1]

I believe many tests had their expiry date moved out 6 months to a year after what is printed on the box. I don’t have the Fed site link handy where you can look it up.

 

[EastWest Gal]

A virus went around locally and I was sicker last week than I was when I had Covid in January. I tested myself several times and was negative. I bought them at our local Wegmans for $8 each.

 

[Aerides]

I don't think it sounds odd at all. If you have a contagious disease like COVID, you certainly don't want to go spread it around to the staff and other patients at the office.

Exactly, and if you home test you don't need to visit a doc in person, just call in and get a scrip if you want.

Home tests may no longer be freely distributed, but they are not expensive unless you want to test a whole bunch. (my last cold I tested 3x in 3 days, and only tested the third day for DH's benefit).

And I'd still trust a Positive from a long-expired test. It's the negatives that were never that reliable and that was always the case.

 

[TrvlBug]

I used expired 2/2024 tests (they expire date had been extended) last week for both DH and I and we tested positive. A very strong positive, no faint lines.

 

[badatmath]

I don't think it sounds odd at all. If you have a contagious disease like COVID, you certainly don't want to go spread it around to the staff and other patients at the office.

Yeah I tested negative and no fever today I think I broke it last night. . . Kind of odd. Normally no fever if it was a cold, no sneezing if flu. . . Runny nose cost me a whole box of kleenx though! I don't entirely trust the test results but the lack of fever is good enough for me.

I run a bit low on normal body temp anyway so to get a fever is kind of notable. I never usually make it up to 98.6 when they check me.

 

[joesxm3]

Could it be that the test is ok despite the date if the control line comes in nice and sharp?

 

[Sunset]

Yeah I tested negative and no fever today I think I broke it last night. . . Kind of odd. Normally no fever if it was a cold, no sneezing if flu. . . Runny nose cost me a whole box of kleenx though! I don't entirely trust the test results but the lack of fever is good enough for me.

I run a bit low on normal body temp anyway so to get a fever is kind of notable. I never usually make it up to 98.6 when they check me.

Could have been RSV.

There is shot for it, which is great as there never was one before.
We have been slow to get it.

 

[badatmath]

Could have been RSV.

There is shot for it, which is great as there never was one before.
We have been slow to get it.

Yeah it was the shortest fever producing illness I ever had. I'm too "young" for the vaccine but I wondered if it was that. I had a lot of sneezing which doesn't really fit a short flu. But I am more or less back to as normal as I ever get.