More than 900 million COVID-19 tests have been distributed to help people get tested and treated sooner and perhaps prevent them from spreading the virus to others.
For the third time this year, the U.S. government has begun offering another round of free COVID-19 testing even as respiratory virus season began in the fall. “American households will be eligible to request four free COVID-19 tests at COVIDTests.gov,” according to the Department of Health and Human Services. “COVID-19 tests will detect current variants of the disease and can be used until the end of the year,” he added.
According to officials, more than 900 million such tests have already been distributed to help people get tested and treated sooner and perhaps prevent them from transmitting the virus to others.
“At-home COVID tests can be performed at home or other locations and typically provide results in 30 minutes or less,” according to HHS. “COVID tests can be administered to both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.”
With the Christmas season, the government pushes for more testing
According to the federal government, testing is being pushed in large numbers and may prove useful as gatherings for the upcoming Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas would bring people closer together. Therefore, experts suggest that it is best to remain vigilant and use available tools, such as vaccines, tests and treatments against the virus, which is mainly active during most of the fall and winter, causing deaths and hospitalizations.
How are vaccines being promoted?
According to the CDC, the latest strain-specific formulation of the COVID-19 vaccine is now available, both in RNA form and that made by Moderna and Pfizer; or the protein-based alternative from Novavax. The mRNA vaccines target the KP.2 ‘FLiRT’ variant, a dominant strain since earlier this year. The Novavax shot targets the JN.1 strain, which, while still around, is perhaps less dominant. Currently, the CDC says KP.3.1.1, a branch of the omicron variant, is the dominant variant in the US, accounting for about 52.7 percent of cases.
Since all vaccines are available in pharmacies nationwide, doctors and experts recommend that everyone over 6 months of age get the COVID-19 and flu vaccines simultaneously.
Although the CDC says that while most Americans have some degree of immunity from previous infections or vaccinations, or both, that protection wanes. Last year’s shots targeted a different part of the coronavirus family tree: a strain that is no longer circulating.
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