Biden announces $600m for more free Covid-19 tests in anticipation of surge

The funding will produce new at-home tests and restart a website to allow Americans to order four free tests per household

The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it is providing $600m in funding to produce new, at-home Covid-19 tests and is restarting a website allowing Americans to again order up to four free tests per household – aiming to prevent possible shortages during a rise in coronavirus cases that has typically come during colder months.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says orders can be placed at covidtests.gov starting 25 September, and that no-cost tests will be delivered for free by the United States Postal Service (USPS).

Twelve manufacturers that employ hundreds of people in seven states from California to Maryland have been awarded funding and will produce 200m over-the-counter tests to replenish federal stockpiles for government use, in addition to producing enough tests to meet demand for tests ordered online, the department said.

Got_Bent,

Good. I’ve come down with something that mirrors what COVID felt like and have exhausted my supply of tests. They were pretty expensive to purchase.

tsonfeir,
@tsonfeir@lemm.ee avatar

I think you might have what I have, do you also feel an utter lack of hope for humanity?

guyrocket,
guyrocket avatar

Just curious...how expensive?

afraid_of_zombies,

Last time I got it priced at an urgentcare they wanted 40 dollars. I told them it’s free or I walk. Ended up walking.

rynzcycle,

What garbage, I'm seeing home tests for $3.60 a piece (pack of 8) on Amazon right now, not even restaurants mark up that much. Hope you ended up being alright.

afraid_of_zombies,

I am fine. Young, health, vaxxed, and boosted. It is everyone around me who is at risk.

spacecowboy,

Are you really going to put your trust in a medical test purchased off of Amazon……?

MicroWave,
@MicroWave@lemmy.world avatar

Around $8 per test in the US

Got_Bent,

It was about fifty dollars for three tests at CVS

guyrocket,
guyrocket avatar

!

bob_wiley,

deleted_by_author

    •
    Got_Bent,

    It was just one of those things. I needed to test same day, so I had to pay the premium.

    crashoverride,

    I work for a hospital, with my discount I can’t get one for 9 bucks and change.

    Starb3an,

    $15-30? Something like that. All I know is the one I bought tested negative, but I tested positive at the doctor’s office.

    the_post_of_tom_joad,

    website to allow Americans to order four free tests per household

    Typical half measures. 4 tests per household isnt close to enough, and the fact you have to order them rather than having them just sent to taxpayers homes further shows the funding for this isn’t nearly enough to cover tests for the entire country.

    Oh yeah, one more thing: is this gonna be the same website that crashed 5 times before it let me order my tests, tests that never in fact arrived?

    MooseBoys,

    4 tests per household isnt close to enough

    What’s your definition of “enough”? Of course it’s not enough to allow everyone to be 100% confident they don’t have covid if they come down with the sniffles. But if you have known COVID exposure, it allows you to test at the recommended 5-day mark to see if you have it yourself. That probably would cover around 80% of needs.

    Drusas,

    Automatically sending them to homes would be extremely wasteful in a country where some half of the populace would never bother using them. Half would go straight in the trash.

    the_post_of_tom_joad,

    First, I disagree with your numbers. Remember, these aren’t vaccinations, they are tests. I know of very few anti-tester rallies.

    Second, i especially disagree with your assertion that there might be a problem with even (for for slipslope purposes) a million dollars wasted if it saved a single American life.

    Onto my own rant/rave, the complete garbage that is tv news in this country notwithstanding, i lay full blame of the distrust in the cdc and sound (or otherwise) medicine on the government’s shoulders. Their mandates, when they weren’t contradicting themselves clearly catered to business’ interests over human lives.

    Even though i understand why, as we are surrounded by constant messages all saying that *somehow the complete lack of government mandated COVID protection is our fault, I still get frustrated when i see what i think is people blaming the victims.

    US citizens have, willfully or otherwise, been failed spectacularly.

    Drusas,

    I'm going to have to disagree with you. There are a lot of people who don't bother to test themselves because they don't think COVID is a big deal in any way.

    FordBeeblebrox,

    Also folks who show symptoms but refuse to take a test because they’d lose money from time off work, since we all decided that safety nets and caring for the populace is stupid and communist so people have to juggle rent and self reporting

    Jumpinship,

    I used to test, but now that I know none of my friends or family don’t get sick there’s no point really. I can tell if I have vivid because I get a mild back soreness for an hour in the morning.

    Drusas,

    I think you might mean you know your friends and family don't get sick.... If none of your friends or family don't get sick, that means all of them get sick.

    FlyingSquid,
    @FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

    4 was plenty for my family to find out we were COVID positive. We ended up buying replacement tests because they weren’t free anymore, but the free ones worked as intended.

    the_post_of_tom_joad,

    We ended up buying replacement tests because they weren’t free anymore

    Im not trying to pick on you, but that is exactly what I’m saying: 4 isn’t enough. And i seriously mean it when i say i’m glad you can afford more tests, but not everyone can.

    You did the right thing, spent what you could afford and bought more tests. Did you test as often as you would have if the tests were cheaper or even free?

    FlyingSquid,
    @FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

    Considering there’s no reason to test when you’re not having symptoms and that was the only time we had symptoms, I don’t think I would have tested more often.

    brlemworld,

    Cool. Now do the rest of the healthcare system.

    MossBear,

    Sorry, but your healthcare is in another castle.

    Chetzemoka,
    Chetzemoka avatar

    Anticipation of surge? We're already on the downslope of a recent tiny surge up here in the Boston area:

    https://www.mwra.com/biobot/biobotdata.htm

    samus12345,
    @samus12345@lemmy.world avatar

    There’s always a larger surge after Thanksgiving and Christmas, when people are traveling and going to gatherings.

    Chetzemoka,
    Chetzemoka avatar

    Oof, yeah. It'll be time to break out my N95s again

    evatronic,

    Followed by the same in mid to late April, after spring break and Mardi Gras.

    Starb3an,

    I don’t know about statistics on actual cases. Our company manufactures masks and sells them direct on Amazon. I do know we’ve had to ramp production back up for this month.

    CmdrShepard,

    My kid got it after 2 weeks in school and gave it to me. I’ve had multiple coworkers get it in the last few weeks too.

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