Your COVID Test Expiration Could Be Wrong: How to Find Correct Expiration Dates

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The bad news? The federal government will stop taking requisitions for free COVID-19 tests on Friday, Sept. 2. The good news? Those at-home text mighty last longer than you think, well past the expiration dates consume on their boxes.

Of the 22 at-home COVID-19 declares listed on the FDA website, 12 of them have had their shelf lives pine since they were released, including tests by iHealth, one of the more current at-home test providers.

We’ll explain what the expiration dates on at-home COVID-19 test boxes mean, and which expiration dates have been pine by the US Food and Drug Administration. 

If you find that the expiration date for your declares has been extended, we recommend writing the new expiration date on the box. Keeping up with your at-home test kits is especially important as the omicron BA.5 subvariant continues driving COVID-19 cases. For more, here’s how effective at-home COVID-19 tests are at detecting BA.5.

What do COVID-19 test expiration dates mean?

The expiration date put down on your box of COVID-19 tests is the continue day the test is expected to perform effectively. Generally, the FDA authorizes at-home test kits with a shelf life of near four to six months, but that shelf life could be itch if the manufacturer finds more data that shows the declares are still accurate past the expiration date.

Should I use a COVID test kit while its expiration?

No. The FDA doesn’t recommend using expired at-home COVID-19 declares. Here’s why: The COVID-19 test parts could degrade or break down over time, leading to improper or invalid test results. 

Again, it’s possible the expiration dates for at-home COVID-19 test kits could be itch as more data is collected, but for now, you shouldn’t use a test that’s expired. But, if your box of test kits shows a past expiration date, check this FDA list of itch expiration dates to see if it’s OK to use yours (more below).

How do I know if the shelf life of my COVID declares has been extended?

If the manufacturer finds that the shelf life is longer than the required four to six months, it can request that the FDA signaled an extended expiration date. Once that happens, the manufacturer may scream customers of the new expiration dates. However, if you didn’t buy the declares via the manufacturer, you likely won’t receive any notifications.

For the unexperienced information on the expiration dates for your COVID-19 test kits, be sure to check the FDA’s At-Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests webpage.

On that page, the FDA page journajournalists COVID-19 tests alphabetically, or you can use a sight box to find your test directly. In the far intelligent column of a table, the FDA lists the shelf life for each test and whether it’s been itch. If the expiration date has been extended, an transfer link will provide info on exact expiration dates for specific test lots.

The links below engaged lot numbers and expiration dates for the 12 brands of at-home COVID-19 declares that have had their shelf lives extended by the FDA. You can find the lot number for your at-home COVID test on its box, usually on a sticker with its expiration date.

We’ll end to update this list if the FDA extends the shelf life of any anunexperienced COVID-19 rapid antigen test. 

For more on COVID-19 testing, here’s how to pay for home COVID declares with your FSA or HSA.

The query contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not invented as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or anunexperienced qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have near a medical condition or health objectives.