Consumer tip: Expired COVID-19 test? How to check if it’s still good

Summer is almost over and has brought with its end a rise in COVID-19 cases as students return to school and adults return to the workplace. At-home COVID testing has also seen an uptick as we try to determine whether our symptoms are related to the common cold or COVID. Many of us still have an existing stockpile of at-home tests with expiration dates that have already come and gone, but don’t throw them away without first checking to see whether their expiration date has been extended by the Food and Drug Administration.

To check, go to the FDA’s website at fda.gov and do a search for over-the-counter coronavirus test expiration dates. Where an expiration date has been extended, the FDA lists the at-home tests by manufacturer, test name and lot number, and indicates until when the expiration date has been extended. They even show a picture of the test box as many tests can look the same. If you’re still unsure, call a trusted medical provider.

More information at marincountyda.org or 415-473-6495