Has my Covid test expired? How to check it and what to do

As the weather changes and cold and flu season intensifies, the risk of contracting Covid-19 remains high – especially if supposedly a more contagious strain goes to the United States

If you have unused SARS-CoV-2 tests at home, you may still be able to use them.

Here’s what you need to know:

Why do Covid tests expire?

Yes, it’s true – the Covid test sitting in your cupboard won’t last forever. In fact, it will only last a few months.

This is the Cleveland Clinic Home COVID tests are designed to look for the virus’s antigen through antibodies in the kit, but the antibodies in the kits degrade over time. This may result in older test kits not being able to detect any virus as accurately.

Can I use an expired Covid test?

The short answer: it depends.

Many Covid-19 tests have had their expiration dates extended, so you can continue to use your Covid-19 test after the expiry date printed on the box. You can check if your test has an extended expiration date on the FDA website here.

If your test has expired, it is not recommended to use it as it may give inaccurate results.

RELATED: Americans can order free Covid-19 tests: what you need to know

False positive result from an expired Covid-19 test

If the SARS-CoV-2 home antigen test has expired, it is possible to obtain an inaccurate result.

The most likely scenario is that the test result will be a “false negative”, meaning that you think you are safe from the virus even though there is a possibility that you have it.

“Scientifically, it doesn’t make sense to get a false-positive result from an expired test,” microbiologist and pathologist Daniel Rhoads, M.D. said Cleveland Clinic. “If the antibodies also stop working, the test may not detect the virus as well as it did when it was initially manufactured.”

RELATED: The COVID XEC variant, reportedly more contagious, is beginning to spread

COVID test expiration dates updated

The FDA has extended the expiration dates of dozens of brands of home Covid-19 tests.

To see the FDA list and check yours, click here.

Free Covid tests

Americans can again order free tests for the Covid-19 virus from the US government.

Website from September 23 COVIDTests.gov open for orders.

U.S. households are eligible to receive four free tests. If you would like to receive shipping notifications, simply provide your name, address and email address.