Some COVID-19 at-home tests can be used beyond expiration date on box. Find out which ones.
In the rush to get at-home tests on the market, they were released with short shelf lives on their packaging but some have since been extended by the FDA. Credit: AP/Tom Williams
As folks travel to see loved ones for the holiday season, there’s one thing no one wants to pack — an infectious disease.
But whether you have the sniffles or just want to take precautions around others, there’s a good chance the at-home COVID-19 test you dug out from under the sink expired some time ago. Can you still use it?
That depends, experts said.
"It's best [to be] specific to individual tests," said Dr. Camile Gooden, a primary care physician and physician adviser with NYU Langone Medical Associates-Patchogue.
Here are answers to common questions about the state of COVID and when you should and shouldn't use tests past the label's expiration date.
What’s up with COVID on Long Island in general right now?
COVID-19 cases remain relatively low on Long Island.
From Nov. 1 to 17, 837 people on Long Island tested positive for COVID-19, according to the state health department website, which only includes testing from labs and not self-administered home tests. The seven-day average rate of cases per 100,000 people was 1.3.
This time last year the rate was slightly higher, at 2.3, but numbers spiked after Thanksgiving, reaching a peak of more than 500 new positive tests on a single day on Dec. 30 and a seven-day average of 11.1 per 100,000, according to the state's database.
Dr. Dwayne Breining, senior vice president of lab services at New Hyde Park-based Northwell Health, said Long Islanders also should brace for a wave of influenza cases as we approach Thanksgiving, based on forecasts from other countries. Families should also be aware of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which mainly affects children.
How can tests labeled with a specific expiration date be stretched to a later period?
FDA-approved clinical tests are assessed extensively before being released to the public, including their longevity and the stability of chemical components, Breining said.
At-home COVID-19 tests were released with short shelf lives on their packaging because they had a shorter timeline for testing.
"In the massive emergency that the COVID pandemic was, the need to get these tests out to the public was greater than would have allowed for that full testing," he said.
Diagnostic kits already out in the public continue to undergo testing to allow for some dates to be stretched, both Breining and Gooden said.
"They have done studies that have looked at the stability of the components of the test, and they found that those components remain effective for longer than they initially anticipated," Gooden said. "So based on that data, the FDA extends some of the expiration dates for these select tests."
How do I know if my at-home COVID test’s expiration date has been pushed forward?
Gooden said the FDA regularly lists which COVID-19 diagnostic tests have had their expiration dates extended on its website.
Tests with the link “Extended Expiration Date" will open a document with an original expiration date and the new expiration date based on test lot numbers.
If the FDA chart says to "see the box label," that means its expiration date was not extended. Search the table below by test name.
What happens if I use an expired test?
The components of an at-home COVID test may degrade or break down over time, leading to a greater chance of an inaccurate result, Gooden said.
"If the expiration date is not extended, dispose of the test, get a new test that's unexpired, and use that test, because that will give you the most accurate results," she said.
Even if a test isn’t expired, are there factors that could produce inaccurate results?
At-home COVID-19 tests, let alone expired ones, have about a 65% sensitivity rate, or accuracy, compared to a PCR test given by a health care provider, Breining said.
Experts recommend taking two or three tests over the course of a few days with nonexpired tests.
"In the initial period of having your symptoms and the infection, your level of virus might be very low, and it might be lower than those tests can detect," Breining said.
What happens if I test negative for COVID-19, but I still feel ill?
If you tested negative on multiple COVID-19 tests, you may have the flu, as their symptoms often overlap. Drug stores now sell combination COVID-19 and flu tests to rule out one or the other.
"If you're really going into some sort of high-risk setting, or you're really concerned with your symptoms ... go to a lab, go see your doctor [or] go to urgent care, and they'll give you that triple test [RSV, flu and COVID] where you can get a PCR test," Breining said.
Is it too late to get vaccinated for COVID-19 or the flu?
If you are eligible to receive a COVID-19 or flu vaccine, there’s still time, experts said.
Everyone 6 months of age or older should get an annual flu shot, except for those with certain medical conditions, such as specific allergies, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"What the vaccines for both are really good at is preventing the serious illness," Breining said. "When you get the virus, your immune system will kick in faster and stronger, so that you get better faster, without having to get admitted to the hospital."
