Starting Monday, September 23, American households will be able to get free COVID-19 testing to detect current variants.
The government allows families to order four tests at www.COVIDTests.gov, but it may take some patience to get to the website.
Since Monday morning, the site’s servers have been reported to be at full capacity.
The COVID-19 tests detect current COVID-19 variants and can be used until the end of the year, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
Expiration dates for COVID tests
Many COVID-19 tests have extended expiration dates, so it may be possible to use COVID-19 tests after the expiration date stated on the packaging.
To find out if your test has an extended expiration date, check the extended expiration list.
Current COVID symptoms
Another COVID variant, the XEC strain, is on the rise and experts say may not be as serious as it is contagious.
However, there is no evidence that the XEC variant is associated with its unique symptoms.
The CDC continues to describe basic COVID-19 symptoms, which can appear between two and 14 days after exposure to the virus and can range from mild to severe.
These are some of the symptoms of COVID-19:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- fatigue
- Muscle or limb pain
- Headache
- Loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Stuffy or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
According to the CDC, you should see a doctor if you experience the following symptoms:
- Breathing difficulties
- Persistent chest pain or pressure
- New confusion
- Inability to wake up or stay awake
- Pale, gray or bluish skin, lips or nail beds
CDC COVID Guidelines
The CDC continues to recommend that people with symptoms stay home and resume normal activities when symptoms have improved overall for at least 24 hours and the fever has resolved without the use of fever-reducing medication.
Once people resume normal activities, they are encouraged to take additional prevention strategies for the next five days to help limit the spread of the disease, including wearing a well-fitting mask and maintaining distance from others.
USA Today contributed to this story.
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