How to get a free covid-19 test in the United States

() –– Americans can now ask the federal government for more free Covid-19 testing as the country heads into a respiratory virus season with high levels of coronavirus.

Each household can receive four home test kits, which can be ordered at COVIDTests.gov starting today. They will ship for free starting next week via the US Postal Service.

This is the seventh round of distribution for the program, which has already delivered more than 900 million free tests to US residents since it began in winter 2021, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. (HHS).

Rapid antigen tests take about 30 minutes to provide results. This next set of tests will be able to detect the variants currently circulating and can be used to test people who have symptoms of Covid-19 and those who do not, as well as those who are up to date with their Covid vaccination. 19 and in those that are not.

“Reopening this popular program is the latest step by the Biden-Harris administration to ensure that over-the-counter Covid-19 tests are available to everyone who wants them this fall and winter,” said HHS Undersecretary for Preparedness and Response , Dawn O’Connell, in a statement. “Before you visit your family and friends this holiday season, get a rapid test and help them stay safe from Covid-19.”

Available tests also include an option with certain features that make them more accessible to people with disabilities that affect dexterity or vision. rmation on how to order these tests is available at ACL.gov/AccessibleTests.

“Covid-19 testing can help you find out if you have Covid-19 so you can decide what to do next, such as getting treatment to reduce your risk of getting seriously ill and taking steps to decrease your chances of transmitting the virus to others.” said the HHS Strategic Preparedness and Response Administration.

To reduce the spread of covid-19, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that people who test positive stay home and away from other people until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours.

The US Food and Drug Administration recommends that people take multiple rapid tests to make sure they do not have Covid-19: two negative tests for those with symptoms and three for those without symptoms, done 48 hours apart.

The CDC also recommends that everyone 6 months and older receive an updated Covid-19 vaccine this season to stay up to date with the schedule.

This year, there are multiple options available; Moderna and Pfizer’s mRNA vaccines have been updated to target KP.2, one of the so-called FLiRT variants that have been dominant in the US since May. These vaccines are for people 6 months or older. A more traditional vaccine from Novavax is also available, but it attacks JN.1, a variant that is still circulating, but less prominently than a few months ago. The Novavax vaccine is approved only for people 12 years of age and older.

The updated Covid-19 vaccines are now available in pharmacies across the United States and can be received at the same time as the annual flu vaccine.

“The best plan for this winter is for us all to remain alert and use the tools we have: vaccines, tests and treatments against the diseases responsible for the majority of deaths and hospitalizations in the fall and winter,” the director of the CDC, Dr. Mandy Cohen.

–– ‘s Brenda Goodman contributed to this report.