PHILADELPHIA — (TNS) As flu and chilly season approaches, Individuals are additionally being urged to stay vigilant about COVID-19. Quickly, households throughout the U.S. will as soon as once more be capable of order free COVID-19 check kits by means of a federal program aimed toward curbing the unfold of the virus this winter.
The U.S. Division of Well being and Human Service’s (HHS) is restarting its free COVID check ordering program on the finish of September, permitting households to order 4 fast nasal swab exams by means of the USA Postal Service (USPS). The check can detect present COVID-19 variants and supply leads to half-hour or much less.
Pennsylvania is at the moment experiencing a rise within the proportion of deaths because of COVID-19, with round 50 deaths per week, in line with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC). Whereas it is a vital drop from from the 1,500 Pennsylvanians dying each week in December 2020, greater than 55,000 Pennsylvanians have died because of COVID-19.
In August, the share of constructive COVID circumstances nationwide reached its highest degree since January 2022. Philadelphia has additionally seen an increase in circumstances. Nonetheless, Pennsylvania and Delaware have remained “steady” of their case counts, whereas New Jersey’s circumstances are “rising,” in line with the CDC’s epidemic progress tracker.
Almost 1 billion exams have been distributed by means of the federal program at COVIDtests.gov to date. The initiative was briefly suspended in March, however exams have been and are nonetheless out there to uninsured folks by means of current HRSA-funded well being facilities or the CDC’s ICATT areas.
With out insurance coverage or authorities help, over-the-counter COVID-19 exams can value between $10 to $30, whereas some choices that check for each flu and COVID-19 can value as much as $50, in line with listings for at-home exams from Amazon, CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart.
Now, earlier than the vacation season begins when buddies and households collect indoors, HHS is reopening this system to assist cease the unfold of COVID-19 and encourage Individuals to hunt remedy early to keep away from extreme sickness.
Easy methods to order free COVID-19 check kits within the U.S.
COVID check ordering shall be out there to all U.S. households. To put an order, people might want to present their full identify and a residential mailing deal with. It is unclear how this system will function this time round, however beforehand USPS solely processed one order per family, not for every particular person within the family.
When this system restarts, orders may be positioned at COVIDtests.gov. The precise begin date has not been launched but.
Within the meantime, folks can nonetheless obtain free COVID-19 testing by means of their insurance coverage or get examined at free COVID-19 testing websites supplied by means of the native or federal authorities.
COVID-19 restrictions, masking mandates, and vaccines
COVID restrictions, masking mandates, and vaccine necessities are now not in place.
Typically, the CDC recommends staying up-to-date on vaccinations, staying house when sick, and looking for healthcare if in danger for extreme sickness. Extra COVID-19 data on vaccines and prevention may be present in The Inquirer’s information on fall vaccines.
Up to date COVID-19 vaccines out there
In August, the Meals and Drug Administration accepted a brand new suite of vaccines for this upcoming chilly and flu season. Here is what it is advisable know. Up to date vaccines will goal the KP.2 pressure of COVID-19, a subvariant of JN.1-lineage strains, together with KP.3.1.1, KP.3, and KP.2 variants, which are actually accountable for most infections within the U.S., in line with the CDC.
Present COVID-19 variants
The CDC recognized KP.2, KP.2.3, KP.3, and KP.3.1.1 because the predominant COVID-19 variants, all of which come from the Omicron variant household. At the moment, 53% of recent COVID-19 circumstances within the U.S. are linked to KP.3.1.1.