COVID-19 At-home test kits in high demand, experts advise using with caution

DELMARVA – Following the surge of holiday weekend COVID-19 cases, many people want to know if they have the virus, and fast.

That’s led to more people looking for at-home testing, but health experts are advising caution. Demand is currently higher than supply for at-home tests, so you shouldn’t be alarmed if your local pharmacy doesn’t have them. If you can buy the tests, experts say to make sure you follow the instructions carefully without taking any shortcuts.

Health experts also say the rapid Antigen tests detect the presence of the virus but aren’t as accurate as PCR lab tests.

“So if you got to a New Year’s Eve party and you want to test yourself the next day to see if you’ve been exposed or have COVID, it’s probably not going to come up positive. You probably going to have to wait a couple of days,” said TidalHealth Microbiologist Beth Prouse. “So that’s why they give you two kits. So like at Day 3 you can test yourself and if you’re still negative, re-test yourself at Day 5.”

Experts also say that if you do receive a negative test result but are symptomatic, follow up with your primary care physician.

If you aren’t able to find at-home tests locally, you may have better luck shopping online.