Testing

Since the Omicron variant began its high-speed march across the United States, at-home tests have become nearly impossible to find in many towns and cities.

President Biden promised Americans he is making 500 million coronavirus tests available free of charge, but help is at least weeks away — if not longer — for anxious Americans facing a surge of new virus cases.

President Biden announced a plan with much fanfare for free at-home COVID-19 tests as part of his effort to tame the pandemic this winter.

Cost and irregular availability of rapid COVID-19 tests means that Americans often must make choices about when to use them.

Cheap, at-home coronavirus tests have been in short supply, and although their availability is slowly ticking up, a crush of demand around Thanksgiving will almost certainly make the search difficult again.

Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Senior Scholar Jennifer Nuzzo discusses increased vaccinations across the United States, the role of testing in fighting COVID-19, and company vaccine mandates.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week said vaccinated people without symptoms mostly don’t need to get tested even if exposed to the virus.

Consumers will be able to buy rapid coronavirus tests without a prescription this week at three national chain retailers, an expansion that comes as the nation's vaccination effort accelerates and states relax distancing requirements and mask mandates. 

The U.S. has continued a downward trend, with a 30% decrease in the number of daily COVID-19 tests.

Testing might be more important now than ever, and new testing technology and government funding and initiatives are making getting tested faster, easier, and cheaper than it’s ever been.

With case numbers still high, coronavirus testing remains essential, experts say, but the goals and approach will change as vaccines roll out.

The U.S. needs to ramp up the use of rapid COVID-19 testing in order to curb the pandemic and prepare for reopening.