Federal Government to Offer More Free COVID-19 Tests
By Physician’s Briefing Staff HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 25, 2024 -- The U.S. government is offering another round of free COVID-19 tests, which will be available by the end of September.
"U.S. households will be eligible to order four free COVID-19 tests at COVIDTests.gov," according to the U.S. 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 people get tested and treated earlier and to perhaps keep them from spreading COVID-19 to others.
"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," Mandy Cohen, M.D., director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Friday, CNN reported.
As for vaccines, the latest, strain-specific formulation of COVID-19 vaccine is now available, in both the RNA form (Moderna and Pfizer) or the Novavax protein-based alternative. The mRNA vaccines target the KP.2 "FLiRT" variant, which has been a dominant strain since late spring, while the Novavax shot targets JN.1, which is still around but perhaps less dominant than in months past.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted September 2024
Further Support and Information on COVID-19
Read this next
High-Volume Exercise Tied to Increased Coronary Artery Calcification Score
WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2025 -- Male athletes with high-volume exercise training have a higher burden of calcified plaque than male nonathletes, according to a review published in the...
Odds of Cardiovascular Events Up for RSV Hospitalization Versus COVID-19 Hospitalization
WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2025 -- Patients with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) hospitalization have increased odds of any acute cardiovascular event compared with COVID-19...
Sedentary Behavior in U.S. Adults Declined in Last Decade
WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2025 -- Sedentary behavior among U.S. adults fell between 2013 and 2020 but plateaued after that, according to a research letter published online May 21 in...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.