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<ul class="summary-list"><li>At-home <keyword id="11893194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus" source="Orion">coronavirus</keyword> tests are in high demand amidst the Omicron surge.</li><li>You can buy "rapid" antigen tests, or <keyword id="6361808" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pcr" source="Orion">PCR</keyword> tests, which are the "gold standard" and are usually processed in a lab.</li></ul>It might be time to stock up on home coronavirus tests again — if you can find them.As COVID cases surged in recent weeks, Google searches for "home coronavirus test" also spiked. People seeking tests have found <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cvs-low-on-covid-tests-limiting-the-number-customers-buy-2021-8">drugstore shelves empty</a> and Amazon inventory <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rapid+antigen+test+for+covid+19&amp;i=industrial&amp;crid=3NNV85EG4R9F&amp;sprefix=anitgen+%2Cindustrial%2C167&amp;ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_1_8">sold out</a>.Even if demand for testing is climbing to early pandemic levels, at least the technology for testing at home has improved since 2020.Now, you can buy a variety of tests online or <a href="https://cvshealth.com/news-and-insights/press-releases/over-the-counter-covid-19-testing-now-available-at-cvs-pharmacy">at the drugstore,</a> some of which return results in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-use-home-rapid-coronavirus-tests-2020-12">as little as 15 minutes</a>.In some circumstances, it's possible to get free at-home tests. According to the White House, that will become even easier come January, when the federal government promises to start mailing out 500 million free, at-home COVID tests to people who need them.Here's how to get hold of at-home coronavirus tests, and how to use them correctly to ensure an accurate result.<h2>You can buy rapid antigen tests in pharmacies</h2>Most of the over-the-counter, at-home testing options are rapid antigen tests, which can return results within 10 to 15 minutes.The Abbott BinaxNOW, Ellume <keyword id="11893994" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19" source="Orion">Covid-19</keyword> Home, and Quidel QuickVue tests are among the most widely available rapid antigen tests authorized by the FDA. They're sold in most drugstores, including CVS, Walgreens, and Duane Reade.They cost between $20 and $30, but their availability might be limited right now due to <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-08-30/high-demand-for-at-home-covid-tests-could-hamper-supply-abbott-says">high demand</a>.The majority of at-home antigen tests use some sort of nasal swab, and some of them come with an app or instructional video to walk you through the process.Abbott and Quidel's tests both show two lines for a positive test and one line for a negative, similar to a pregnancy test. Ellume's <keyword id="11996463" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="rapid-test" source="Orion">rapid test</keyword> returns results via an app.<h2>You can get PCR and rapid tests delivered by Amazon, DoorDash, or a private lab</h2>Amazon has sold rapid antigen tests and at-home collection kits for PCR testing. At the time of publication, most or all of the antigen tests were listed as "currently unavailable" with no restock date.The site currently stocks an Amazon-brand PCR kit for $39.99, as well as a similar nasal swab kit from EmpowerDX and a saliva test kit made by DxTerity, each for $99.Home PCR test kits are more expensive than antigen tests, but they're also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-test-rapid-antigen-test-lateral-flow-pcr-explained-2021-1">better at diagnosing COVID-19</a>. Once you send away your nasal swab or saliva sample, you can expect results within one or two business days of the lab receiving your kit.The food delivery service DoorDash recently announced it now delivers PCR tests on behalf of Vault <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">Health</keyword> and Everlywell in <a href="https://ir.doordash.com/news/news-details/2021/DoorDash-Launches-On-Demand-Delivery-of-COVID-19-PCR-Test-Collection-Kits-Through-Partnerships-with-Vault-Health-and-Everlywell/default.aspx">12 cities with more to come</a>. The Vault kit, which includes a video consultation to supervise saliva collection, costs $119. The Everywell kit, a self-guided lower nasal swab, costs $109. Both are available for same-day delivery on the DoorDash app.It's also possible to order self-collection kits directly from labs, like the Pixel kit from LabCorp.<h2>Some states and cities offer free at-home tests</h2>Residents of Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Washington are eligible for free at-home tests, which they can order online via each state's website. The cities of <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/coronavirus/nyc-starts-handing-out-free-covid-test-kits-as-cases-surge-to-staggering-heights/3465292/">New York City</a>, <a href="https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/where-to-get-at-home-rapid-testing-kits-covid-19-washington-dc-libraries/65-6ea558d7-3f48-4b49-b0c8-534442767700">Washington, DC</a>, and <a href="https://6abc.com/free-covid-tests-philadelphia-nj-coronavirus-rapid-test/11367191/">Philadelphia</a> are offering the same service.<a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/12/22/1065799880/as-omicron-surges-these-states-and-cities-are-focused-on-giving-out-free-covid-t"></a>Over Christmas, as tests have been in short supply, there have been upticks in people <a href="https://kdvr.com/news/coronavirus/at-home-testing-kits-vanish-from-colorado-stores-people-line-up-at-testing-sites/">lining up</a> at clinics for in-person testing, saying their local website wasn't working. However, health departments <a href="https://kdvr.com/news/coronavirus/colorado-orders-2-million-more-at-home-covid-19-test-kits/">insist</a> there is more on the way.<h2>Antigen testing has its limitations</h2><div type="image" title="home testing thumb" height="820" width="1267" msid="85816208" hostid="261"></div>Taking a rapid antigen test is currently the quickest way to determine your COVID status without leaving the house, but that doesn't mean it's your most accurate testing option. Antigen tests <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD013705.pub2/full">aren't as sensitive</a> as the gold-standard PCR test, which means you're more likely to get a false negative.Antigen tests work best for confirming that a symptomatic infection is COVID-19, so these are good ones to have on hand for the next time you feel sick. But if you're testing to rule out an asymptomatic infection, you may want to try a different option.<h2>For more sensitive testing, get a PCR test and send your swab away</h2>You can also purchase a <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-at-home-covid-19-tests">home test kit for PCR testing</a>, which is currently the "gold standard" for coronavirus diagnostics.While antigen tests screen for specific proteins in the coronavirus, PCR tests take a closer look for any trace of the virus' genetic material. The process usually takes place in a lab, but some test kits let you collect your own samples at home.There are some fully at-home PCR tests in the works from Cue and Lucira, but neither is available at retailers yet. Lucira is selling the test directly to <keyword id="11897506" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="healthcare" source="Orion">healthcare</keyword> providers, and the Cue COVID-19 test is expected to be available for direct consumer purchase later this fall.

Where to find at-home COVID tests — including for free — and how to use them correctly

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Conservative pundit <keyword id="12023719" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="candace-owens" source="Orion">Candace Owens</keyword> said she was denied service at a <keyword id="11918419" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="colorado" source="Orion">Colorado</keyword> COVID-19 testing center.</li><li>The owner of Aspen Laboratories said Owens worsened the pandemic by "spreading misinformation."</li><li>Owens tweeted that the matter is "being escalated" to the Department of Health and Human Services.</li></ul>Conservative pundit Candace Owens said she was denied service at a Colorado COVID-19 testing center. She claimed the dispute was about her political beliefs."Holy crap!! I just received an e-mail from a Covid testing facility that they are REFUSING to administer a test to me because they don't like my politics," Owens <a href="https://twitter.com/RealCandaceO/status/1433240232552452098?s=20">tweeted</a> on September 1.She <a href="https://twitter.com/RealCandaceO/status/1433250041314136067?s=20">shared a photo</a> of an email she received from a co-owner of Aspen Laboratories. Owens, who has promoted multiple <a href="https://www.insider.com/jackee-harry-candace-owens-coronavirus-conspiracy-theories-2020-4">conspiracy theories about COVID-19</a>, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. "We cannot support anyone who has pro-actively worked to make this pandemic worse by spreading misinformation, politicizing and DISCOURAGING the wearing of masks and actively dissuading people from receiving life-saving vaccinations," co-owner Suzanna Lee wrote in the email. "My team and myself have worked overtime, to exhaustion, unpaid and underpaid this past year, spending our own capital to ensure that our community remains protected. It would be unfair to them and to the sacrifices we have all made this year to serve you," Lee went on. On <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/candace-owens-denied-medical-treatment-colorado-lab-cancels-covid-test-appointment">FOX News</a>, Owens told Tucker Carlson she was denied a test for political reasons, referring to people like Lee as "sadists" who "like to manipulate you." "This is not about health anymore. This is about politics," Owens told Carlson. "If this is a public health crisis, she would say, 'You know what, I hate Candace Owens, but of course she is in my town. I'm going to give her a test and make sure she doesn't infect anybody else.'"In a response posted on Twitter, Owens accused Lee of "googling the names of the people who book tests with you and determining on a case by case basis" whether to serve them. "That nobody stopped you from hitting send on such an emotionally unstable and hysterical e-mail leads me to believe that the people who work for you must love me, and would therefore never deny me this entertainment," Owens wrote. Owens claimed on <a href="https://twitter.com/RealCandaceO/status/1433526569679474694?s=20">Twitter</a> that she could not be denied a test because Aspen Laboratories receives "both state and federal funding," which the co-owners of the business disputed. Owens added that the situation is "currently being escalated" to the US Department of Health &amp; Human Services.In an interview with the <a href="https://www.aspendailynews.com/news/aspen-laboratories-co-owner-says-she-barely-knew-who-candace-owens-was/article_d8a07ce4-0d2f-11ec-add3-1bd986c76b99.html">Aspen Daily News</a>, Lee said she wrote her email to support her staff, adding that she never considered Owens would publicize her email. A spokesperson for Aspen Laboratories did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment."In all honesty I barely know who she is. She's a marginal public figure," Lee said, adding that the lab sees "much higher-profile people" on a regular basis. "We did not Google her; she is a public figure. That is how she was recognized."Lee and Aspen Laboratories co-owner Isaac Flanagan published a <a href="https://aspencovidtest.com/statement/">statement on their site</a> denying that they choose who to serve based on "race, politics or vaccination status, or other criteria.""As a privately funded and operated business, with no public financing, we are under no obligation to provide our services to anyone who leverages their sizable public platform to undermine basic containment measures aimed at reducing the effects of this pandemic," the statement read. "We are not currently the only local testing option, however, and would not have referred business elsewhere if we were," the statement went on. "We regret any and all politicization of this public health emergency and encourage all Americans to treat each other with kindness and dignity so we can get through this difficult time together."

A Colorado COVID-19 test center denied service to Candace Owens, accused her of making 'this pandemic worse'

Mumbai, Mar 30 () Digital healthcare platform Practo has tied with private lab chain Thyrocare to carry out Covid-19 detection tests for Rs 4,500. The service is already available in Mumbai and Pune, and will be extended to other cities soon, the Bengaluru-based startup said in a statement.The two have been authorised by the government and the Indian Council of Medical Research.Their personnel will collect the samples from the patients' homes directly and the test result will be made available on the Practo website within 48 hrs.* * * **ICICI Pru offers digital servicing In line with the government directives to contain Covid-19, ICICI Prudential Life is taking claim requests digitally.Apart from policy related information, customers can update their details such as contact information, nominee etc digitally and also pay renewal premia, setting or changing standing instructions, fund switch, get tax certificates, renewal receipts etc.Customers can also upload documents or ascertain the status of their a applications or requests on the digital platforms. The company said claims settlement process remains unaffected and claimants can access the above mentioned digital channels to lodge death and/or health claims. The status on the claims too can be accessed digitally.Death claims that qualify to be settled under the claim for sure initiative in one day after receipt of all mandatory documents.**** *Klinicapp begins home tests for Covid in MumbaiKlinicApp, an e-diagnostic startup has begun home-collection of samples for Covid tests in Mumbai in tie-up with Thyrocare and Metropolis for Rs 4,500 per test.KlinicApp is focused on adding/scaling up its capacity in all major cities, to a sufficient number of tests per day.The tests are done only on doctor's prescriptions and results are given within 48 hrs. BEN BALBAL

Practo inks pact with Thyrocare to conduct Covid tests

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Researchers at <keyword id="53675" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="harvard">Harvard</keyword> and <keyword id="54274" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="MIT">MIT</keyword> pioneered a biosensor that can test for COVID-19.</li><li>The sensor is small enough to embed inside a <keyword id="72066" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="face-mask">face mask</keyword> and provides results in 90 minutes.</li><li>The technology could be used to test for other pathogens in the next pandemic.</li></ul>Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, two of the most vital public health messages have been to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/delta-variant-who-fully-vaccinated-wear-masks-2021-6">wear a mask</a> around others and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fixing-america-covid-19-mistakes-test-more-be-more-precise-2021-3">get tested</a> if you feel sick.A team of Harvard and MIT researchers have come up with an invention that combines the two strategies for stopping the spread of respiratory illness. They pioneered a wearable biosensor that can do the work of an entire laboratory - and it's small enough to clip onto a face mask.Wearers breathe into their masks for 15 to 30 minutes, press a button on the sensor, and within 90 more minutes, their <keyword id="8962516" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Covid-test">COVID test</keyword> results show up on a readout strip similar to a <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-accurate-are-home-pregnancy-tests">pregnancy test</a>. The invention is described in greater detail in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-021-00950-3">Nature Biotechnology</a>."For every single person that has this diagnostic face mask, not only are you preventing the virus from spreading, you're actually pinpointing whether or not they have it relatively rapidly," said co-first author Peter Nguyen, a research scientist at Harvard's Wyss Institute.<h2>The technology can be used to test for any pathogen</h2>The sensor is built on past research from Wyss Core Faculty member and senior author Jim Collins, who pioneered the wearable freeze-dried cell-free (wFDCF) technology.To create the sensor, the team extracted and freeze-dried the molecular machinery that cells use to identify genetic material like DNA and RNA. That information acts as a "fingerprint" for the sensor to identify the virus, said co-first author Luis Soenksen, a postdoctoral fellow at the Wyss Institute.The sensor is activated with the press of a button, which releases a small amount of water to rehydrate the freeze-dried components.The same technology could be used to identify another pathogen, like influenza. The detection is so precise - down to the individual building blocks of DNA - that it could even differentiate between <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-variants-uk-south-africa-brazil-us-facts-questions-2021-1">COVID variants</a>.What's more, the diagnostic system could be integrated directly into fabric to bypass the sensor entirely. Soenksen said that the technology could be applied in endless ways, from military suits that can detect harmful chemical agents to lab coats that test for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/deadly-drug-resistant-fungi-are-next-big-public-health-threat-2021-5">drug-resistant bacteria</a>.<h2>The futuristic face mask could prepare us for the next pandemic</h2>The creation of a diagnostic device inside of a face mask could eliminate many barriers to real-time testing. The researchers said the testing sensitivity is comparable to the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-coronavirus-throat-tests-work-rt-pcr-method-explained-2020-4">gold-standard RT-PCR tests</a>, and it turns out results relatively quickly. The device is also inexpensive - without accounting for packaging, the prototype cost five dollars to make, and the final product could be made for even less.The team is looking for commercial partners to help produce the sensor, so don't expect to see it on shelves right away. But even if face masks with built-in virus sensors are not available during this pandemic, they could help stop <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/protect-world-from-next-pandemic-experts-coronavirus-covid-2020-4">the next one</a>, assuming we know what pathogen we're looking for."By bringing the laboratory to the person, you can get a much higher resolution of how quickly people are getting infected," Nguyen said.

Harvard and MIT researchers created a face mask that tests your breath for COVID-19

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11893181" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="amazon" source="Orion">Amazon</keyword> is limiting the purchase of at-home <keyword id="8764262" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid" source="Orion">COVID</keyword> <keyword id="6361808" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pcr" source="Orion">PCR</keyword> tests to 10 kits per shopper.</li><li>The company is responding to a run on kits as the <keyword id="12616996" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="omicron" source="Orion">Omicron</keyword> variant continues to spread.</li></ul>Amazon is limiting the sale of its $40 at-home COVID PCR testing kits to 10 per customer.The quota is a response to increased demand as the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/omicron">fast-spreading Omicron variant</a> surges across the country, a spokesperson <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/22/covid-tests-amazon-limits-number-of-tests-you-can-buy.html">told CNBC</a> on Wednesday. The at-home kits have become increasingly popular for Americans looking to ensure their health status ahead of holiday travel, while dodging the lengthy lines that have once again sprung up at testing sites around the country. While the spokesperson said Amazon is currently working to secure more availability from its selling partners, other vendors on the <keyword id="11894549" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="e-commerce" source="Orion">e-commerce</keyword> marketplace are also setting limits, including the #1 best-selling <a href="https://www.amazon.com/iHealth-COVID-19-Authorized-Non-invasive-Discomfort/dp/B09KZ6TBNY/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?crid=3U0GL2E0WCY9S&amp;&amp;keywords=covid+test&amp;&amp;qid=1640181382&amp;&amp;sprefix=covid+test%2Caps%2C76&amp;&amp;sr=8-2-spons&amp;&amp;psc=1&amp;&amp;smid=A3CR6COA8J61N&amp;&amp;spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyWUVIQ0hZQkpaSzhPJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDkxOTYzTEgwVjhNVkVUTEg4JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAxMDgyMzMzT1AwSFBCRUFKWldQJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=">iHealth Labs Antigen Rapid Test</a>, which is now limited to five per person and won't be delivered until after January 1.Third-party sellers like iHealth Labs are responsible for setting their own purchase limits, Amazon told CNBC.The online <keyword id="11893588" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="retail" source="Orion">retail</keyword> giant is the latest retailer to ration its supply of COVID tests, following <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/12/21/omicron-home-tests-walgreens-cvs/">Walgreens and CVS Health</a>, which also set limits this week on purchases of their own testing kits, both in-store and online. On Tuesday, President Biden announced a plan to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-admin-free-covid-test-kits-psaki-recently-dismissed-idea-2021-12">provide 500 million free at-home test kits to Americans</a> in January, an effort to make COVID tests more accessible amid test kit shortages. Biden also reiterated the importance of vaccinations and boosters to fight the onslaught of the Omicron and Delta variants. Meanwhile, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-director-recommends-canceling-postponing-holiday-events-coronavirus-surge-2021-12">World Health Organization</a> recommended canceling or postponing holiday plans this year in response to rising Omicron cases.Amazon was not immediately available to respond to Insider's request for comment about the COVID test shortage.

Amazon is capping the number of at-home COVID tests shoppers can purchase as Omicron surge prompts shortages

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A <keyword id="11911042" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="missouri" source="Orion">Missouri</keyword> man was charged for posing as a health inspector, reports say. </li><li>Eddie Jameson, 27, is accused of conducting COVID-19 tests to collect money to pay his apartment lease.</li></ul>A Missouri man was charged for posing as a health official and administering <keyword id="8764262" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid" source="Orion">COVID</keyword> tests to pay for his apartment lease, according to reports. Eddie Jameson, 27, is facing five counts of identity theft and false impersonation charges, <a href="https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/crime/man-charged-health-inspector-covid-testing/63-be997ad3-3ab2-4290-a77c-14bb6e3e1078">KSDK</a> reported. The outlet reported that Jameson allegedly entered a convenience store claiming he was a St. Louis County Health Department health inspector that was sent to the establishment to administer COVID tests to see if restrictions could be removed, according to local authorities. According to the report, he collected personal information from five staff members —including their name, address, and driver's license number — and conducted nasal swab tests on them. <a href="https://www.kmov.com/news/man-accused-of-posing-as-st-louis-county-health-inspector-performing-unauthorized-covid-19-tests/article_8a3a39e2-7ac5-11ec-bc41-43f8b2de05b0.html?block_id=990844">KMOV reported</a> that Jameson returned to the store 48 hours later, telling employees that their results would be available the next day. However, police arrived at the scene and took him into custody.Before he was arrested, Jameson is also accused of going to a different market trying to collect information again but was turned down by employees, the report said.Jameson, an employee at an organization that gives employees COVID tests, was only supposed to hand them out, his supervisor said, KMOV reported. During interrogation, Jameson told investigators that he was not trained in conducting COVID tests and that he was going to get $20 for each test, according to the reports.KSDK reported that he told police that the cash was needed to "pay his apartment lease " and that he "was trying to obtain the tests in order to get money."

A Missouri man was charged after impersonating a health inspector and administering COVID tests to gain personal information and pay his apartment lease, reports say

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="11908406" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="biden-administration" source="Orion">Biden administration</keyword> is buying 1 billion at-home COVID-19 test kits to give Americans for free.</li><li>The US Postal Service on Tuesday launched a website, in beta form, where people can order the tests.</li></ul>The Biden administration <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-admin-free-covid-test-kits-psaki-recently-dismissed-idea-2021-12">is purchasing</a> 1 billion at-home, rapid COVID-19 tests to distribute to Americans at no cost in response to a rise in cases spurred in part by the highly contagious <keyword id="12616996" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="omicron" source="Orion">Omicron</keyword> variant.The US Postal Service, which is distributing the tests, <a href="https://special.usps.com/testkits">launched its website</a> on Tuesday in a beta testing phase. While the site is operating at a limited capacity ahead of a full launch on Wednesday, orders are being accepted. The official <keyword id="11896084" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="white-house" source="Orion">White House</keyword> website where Americans can order tests, <a href="https://www.covidtests.gov/">covidtests.gov</a>, is set to go fully live on January 19.Here's what we know about how and when Americans can get a free test kit. <h2>When can I get a free test? </h2>Americans can order tests at no cost from the <a href="https://special.usps.com/testkits">US Postal Service</a> starting on Tuesday and at <a href="https://www.covidtests.gov/">covidtests.gov</a> starting on January 19. Test kits are expected to ship in seven to 12 days, the White House said. Orders placed on the US Postal Service website on Tuesday said the tests would begin to ship "in late January."Eight different brands of at-home, rapid COVID tests are authorized for use by the Food and Drug Administration. The White House has officially reached a deal with the US Postal Service to distribute the 500 million tests, and it plans to order an additional 500 million tests on top of its initial order. <h2>Will the government automatically send free rapid test kits to all American households? </h2>No. Americans who want free tests need to order them. The free test kits are limited to four per address, the White House said, with high-risk communities and those hardest hit by the Omicron variant prioritized for access to tests. <h2>Is my state or city giving out free <keyword id="8962516" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-test" source="Orion">COVID test</keyword> kits?</h2>Depending on where you live, yes!Major cities, such as <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/coronavirus/nyc-starts-handing-out-free-covid-test-kits-as-cases-surge-to-staggering-heights/3465292/">New York City</a>; <a href="https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/where-to-get-at-home-rapid-testing-kits-covid-19-washington-dc-libraries/65-6ea558d7-3f48-4b49-b0c8-534442767700">Washington, DC</a>; and <a href="https://6abc.com/free-covid-tests-philadelphia-nj-coronavirus-rapid-test/11367191/">Philadelphia</a>, and states — including Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Washington, Iowa, Ohio, Maryland, and Colorado — are offering free COVID-19 test kits to some or all residents, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/12/22/1065799880/as-omicron-surges-these-states-and-cities-are-focused-on-giving-out-free-covid-t">NPR</a> reported.<h2>Can I get the cost of a COVID-19 rapid test reimbursed by my insurance in the meantime?</h2>Yes.The Biden administration announced in early December that it would also issue a mandate requiring private insurers to fully reimburse the cost of up to eight rapid, at-home COVID-19 test kits purchased over the counter per month. The reimbursement requirement officially went into effect on January 15.But the reimbursement mandate won't be retroactive for past purchases, which means the millions of Americans who bought rapid test kits in preparation for the holidays have to shoulder those costs out of pocket. Vermont <a href="https://governor.vermont.gov/press-release/vermont-adopts-emergency-rule-expanding-insurance-coverage-covid-19-rapid-home-tests">has a state-level mandate</a> that requires all insurers who operate in the state to reimburse all over-the-counter tests.But while most major private insurers cover the costs of COVID-19 tests conducted in a medical setting or at a test site, many insurers will only reimburse over-the-counter COVID test kits that were ordered by a doctor.

The Biden administration is buying 1 billion rapid COVID-19 test kits to give Americans for free. Here's how to get one.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Wednesday that compulsory COVID-19 tests required by overseas travellers no earlier than 48 hours before arriving in England will be scrapped from Friday morning. Addressing the year's first Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) session in the House of Commons, Johnson said the government is also lifting the requirement for international travellers, including those flying from India, to self-isolate on arrival in England until receiving a negative PCR test result. Instead, people can take a cheaper lateral flow test on day two of their entry into the <keyword id="6354868" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="uk" source="Orion">UK</keyword>. "When the Omicron variant was first identified, we rightly introduced travel restrictions to slow its arrival in our country; but now Omicron is so prevalent, these measures are having limited impact on the growth in cases, while continuing to pose significant costs on our travel industry, Johnson said in his COVID-19 update to Parliament. "So I can announce that in England from 4am on Friday we will be scrapping the pre-departure test, which discourages many from travelling for fear of being trapped overseas and incurring significant extra expense, he said. "We will also be lifting the requirement to self-isolate on arrival until receipt of a negative PCR, returning instead to the system we had in October last year, where those arriving in England will need to take a lateral flow test no later than the end of Day 2 and, if positive, a further PCR test to help us identify any new variants at the border, he added. It came as the UK continues to record very high daily infections with another 194,747 COVID cases on Wednesday, down from Tuesday's 218,724 cases. Johnson highlighted in his statement that as many as 90 per cent of those in intensive care with COVID have not had their booster vaccine dose and over 60 per cent have not had any vaccination at all. He urged members of Parliament to spread the vaccination message in their constituencies as he confirmed that no further lockdown measures will be imposed over and above the Plan B measures involving mandatory face coverings, work from home where possible guidance and COVID vaccination certificate checks for larger events. "Together with the evidence that Omicron causes less severe disease than previous variants, and the way the public have conscientiously changed their behaviour in response to Plan B, this level of protection means we are in a very different position than during previous waves," he said. Johnson also confirmed an earlier announcement by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) of a change in COVID testing rules within the country, amid concerns of massive staff absences due to lengthy self-isolation even among asymptomatic cases. Thanks to the sheer size of the Omicron wave, we still need to take steps to ensure our testing capacity reaches those who need it most. So we will be suspending the need to do a PCR to confirm the result of a positive lateral flow test, said Johnson. Lateral Flow Devices (LFDs) are made available for free by the National Health Service (NHS) for home testing and are believed to be a reliable indicator of an individual's COVID infectiousness level, requiring them to self-isolate following a positive test. They can end their isolation after a week if they test negative on day six and seven consecutively, or carry on isolating for 10 days. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/retail/news/diwali-and-christmas-may-have-saved-dmarts-quarter/articleshow/88718606.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Diwali and Christmas may have saved DMart’s quarter</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/retail/news/amazon-vs-future-vs-reliance-delhi-high-court-stays-singapore-arbitration-proceedings/articleshow/88713142.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Delhi high court stays Amazon arbitration proceedings against Future-Reliance deal</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/elon-musks-starlink-faces-its-first-setback-in-india-even-before-launch/articleshow/88702976.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Elon Musk’s Starlink faces its first setback in India even before launch</a>

UK lifts pre-arrival COVID-19 test rule for overseas travelers

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Comedian <keyword id="423411" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Chelsea-Handler">Chelsea Handler</keyword> shared her method for screening potential hookups.</li><li>Handler said on the "<keyword id="11552990" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="call-her-daddy">Call Her Daddy</keyword>" podcast she tells suitors to take a rapid <keyword id="8962516" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Covid-test">COVID test</keyword>.</li><li>If a suitor annoys Handler before the test results come back, she tells them that their test was positive so they leave.</li></ul>Chelsea Handler said she makes potential <keyword id="6355231" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sex">sex</keyword> partners take rapid COVID tests during an episode of the "<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/call-her-daddy/id1418960261">Call Her Daddy</a>" podcast.The show's host, Alex Cooper, asked Handler about her upcoming comedy tour, titled "Vaccinated and Horny," and Handler said pandemic dry spells inspired the show.Handler said she decided to have sex during the pandemic due to sexual frustration. But the process she used for enlisting hookups changed from pre-pandemic times."I had a COVID testing kit at my house, so once I realized that this was going to go on for months, I was like, 'Alright, I'm just going to have guys over,'" Handler told Cooper.The comedian and former late night host said she uses the dating app <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/raya/id957215308">Raya</a>, which requires you submit an application and get approved to use the platform. Handler also said she avoids dating or hooking up with other celebrities.Once Handler finds her match and they arrive at her <keyword id="6363870" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="home">home</keyword>, she asks them to take a rapid response COVID test, she told Cooper. Then, Handler leaves the test, which takes 20 minutes to process results, in her kitchen.That's when the real test begins."And in that time, I would go back out on my patio and hang out with them. If they said anything annoying or mentioned their balls, I would tell them their test was positive," Handler told Cooper.When it comes to the hookups that pass the test, Handler said she enjoys morning sex with them the most.The comedian is an <a href="https://www.insider.com/people-are-microdosing-cannabis-with-prepackaged-thc-weed-drinks-2021-4">outspoken cannabis user</a>, but told Cooper she doesn't enjoy sex while under the influence."It's nice to be super sober for sex," said Handler.

Chelsea Handler 'screens' casual sex partners with COVID rapid tests - and tells the people she dislikes that they're positive

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Kremlin said Trump did send Putin COVID tests during the pandemic.</li><li>A new book by Bob Woodward claims that Trump sent them in early 2020 for Putin's personal use.</li></ul>The Kremlin seemingly confirmed reports that then-President Donald Trump sent COVID tests to Russian President Vladimir Putin in early 2020, for Putin's own personal use.According to several reports, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin's spokesperson, said on Wednesday that the tests had been sent, but added that: "We also <a target="_blank" href="https://time.com/7074194/kremlin-trump-putin-covid-test-bob-woodward-book/">sent equipment at</a> the beginning of the pandemic."Journalist Bob Woodward made the revelations in his forthcoming book "War," <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-putin-woodward-book-secret-covid-tests-seven-calls-2024-10">excerpts</a> of which were published by CNN and The Washington Post on Tuesday."Please don't tell anybody you sent these to me," Putin told Trump, according to the <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" class="" href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/08/politics/bob-woodward-book-war-joe-biden-putin-netanyahu-trump">CNN excerpt</a>, adding "I don't want you to tell anybody because people will get mad at you, not me. They don't care about me."The book also claims that Trump may have had up to seven phone calls with Putin since leaving office in 2021, citing a Trump aide.However, Peskov denied this. "About the phone calls—it's not true," he said, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://time.com/7074194/kremlin-trump-putin-covid-test-bob-woodward-book/">TIME</a>.Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung vigorously denied the book's claims in a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-putin-woodward-book-secret-covid-tests-seven-calls-2024-10">statement</a> to Business Insider on Tuesday."None of these made-up stories by Bob Woodward are true and are the work of a truly demented and deranged man who suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome," Cheung said.

The Kremlin says Trump sent Putin COVID tests during the pandemic, but denies subsequent calls

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Anxiety is rife in the athlete's village during the Olympic Games in Tokyo.</li><li>That's according to gold medal-winning weightlifter <keyword id="3551128" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Hidilyn-Diaz">Hidilyn Diaz</keyword> of the Philippines.</li><li>Constant COVID testing and uncertainty about results are elevating athlete fears, Diaz said.</li></ul>Constant COVID-19 tests are scaring Olympic athletes in case they're positive and are forbidden from competing at <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/tokyo-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the ongoing Tokyo Games</a>.That's according to Filipino <keyword id="59644" type="SPORT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Weightlifting">weightlifting</keyword> hero Hidilyn Diaz, who <a href="https://www.insider.com/hidilyn-diaz-weightlifter-wins-philippines-first-olympic-gold-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently broke down and said she planned to "eat a lot" after winning her country's first Olympic gold medal</a> Monday.After winning the 55-kilogram Olympic title, Diaz gave an insight into what athletes in the village are experiencing when it comes to the mental game ahead of their events.Competing during the coronavirus pandemic appears to provide new challenges for athletes because they are in a state of uncertainty brought on by the constant COVID tests.The unknown - whether they continue to be negative for the coronavirus, or have tested positive - brings great anxiety, according to Diaz."For me, it's like, you know, coming here, we have to do the test, and then, every day we have to do the test and it's like every day that we have the saliva test, I have the anxiety if we are positive or negative," <a href="https://olympics.com/en/video/hidilyn-diaz-on-why-athletes-anxiety-is-high" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Diaz told the official Olympics website</a>."We don't know if we have the virus," the 30-year-old said. "So, you know, the anxiety is so high and I cannot be happy until I compete on the day of my competition."For me, every day in the athlete's village, I'm really like a robot. I have to be like 'stay away from this.'"Diaz said as athletes they try to keep going and follow protocols, but they cannot escape the high levels of anxiety of not knowing whether a test is going to come back positive or negative, and potentially scupper their dreams of vying for the podium.

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