COVID-19 home tests results can read wrong if the tests are expired: How to check

Emily DeLetter, USA TODAY
Updated ·4 min read
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With cases of COVID-19 on the rise again this winter thanks in part to the new JN.1 variant of the virus, now is probably a good time to take stock of the tests you may have at home.

According to data reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, new hospital admissions by week for COVID-19 in the U.S. have been increasing since early November. As of the week of Dec. 23, the last time data was reported, there were 20,059 new hospital admissions.

Like other things, take-at-home tests for COVID-19 can expire, and may deliver an incorrect reading as a result. The federal government has offered free tests to every household a number of times, but COVID-19 tests are also available to purchase from a number of brands over-the-counter, meaning without a prescription, either online or at local stores.

If you're testing negative from a home test but still feeling the symptoms of COVID-19, it could mean your test is out of date.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says you should not generally use COVID-19 diagnostic tests beyond their expiration date on the box, although the agency has extended some expiration dates beyond the printed date as "additional stability data is collected."

Is my COVID-19 test expired? Here's how to check.

Luckily, the FDA has a guide on where and how to find the expiration date on a number of self-testing kits.

Here's where to find the expiration dates for FDA-approved tests.

Another round of free COVID tests are available to the public.
Another round of free COVID tests are available to the public.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID-19 home tests can expire. How you can check expiration dates