So is it worth hanging on to those tests in case we do get more data and the shelf life can be extended in real time?Īuclair: Generally speaking, I would recommend not doing that. So, for instance, with the BinaxNOW test kits, those were extended three months based on data from drug maker Abbott. And I'm just as guilty as everybody else.Īlston: I saw that earlier this year the FDA actually extended the recommended shelf life of a couple different tests. And that's why I really encourage people to take expiration dates seriously. The same thing happens with these tests and those antibodies won't be able to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 because they, for example, might not be able to bind or stick to the virus, which will allow us to know that it's there.Īlston: So how do the manufacturers decide when a test should expire?Īuclair: It's a long process of determining how stable those molecules are over time, using a bunch of science - we do a bunch of experiments to prove how long those tests are good for. It's the same sort of concept - your meat will go bad because the protein is degrading. You can think about it this way - antibodies are proteins and we eat protein, and you wouldn't want to eat expired meat because it'll make you sick. So you won't know if you're positive or not. the antibody breaks down or that molecule breaks down on that antibody, the detector - you won't be able to see. So that antibody has a little chemical on it - that's what we detect, what color metric causes the color that you see on the test.
Antibodies are chemicals that are proteins and they can break down. You put it on the cartridge, it absorbs into the cartridge and interacts with antibodies or protein molecules. So what happens is, you take a sample from yourself. What's the science behind the at-home tests and how does that break down over time?Īuclair: There are several different types of at-home tests, but most of the tests people have these days, sent from the government or from schools, are antigen tests. Why? Because the chemicals on that test, the antibodies that we're using to detect other chemicals, break down and don't work.Īlston: So help us understand why they don't work. You have a higher chance of seeing a false negative if you use an expired test.
Now, they're not going to hurt you if you take an expired test, but an expired test will be less effective. So throw it away and get new ones.īlind people, disability advocates say, need more accessible at-home coronavirus testsĪnd the same thing with COVID tests - they expire. But also, the breakdown of those molecules can lead to all kinds of chemicals that you don't want in your body, including things that cause cancer. And most people, including myself, used to think, "oh, it expired, it's just going to be less effective." Well, that's partly true. We go through extensive testing of those medications to understand how long they're stable and useful for.
If you have expired medicine at home, please throw it away. Jared Auclair: Great question, and let me circle back to the first part first. But can you do that with one of these at-home COVID tests? Paris Alston: The producers here at Morning Edition and I were talking about how sometimes you might have some cold medicine sitting around that you might reach for in a pinch past the expiration date. This transcript has been edited for clarity and length. But not so fast - make sure you check the expiration date on that kit before you use it, says Jared Auclair, director of the Biopharmaceutical Analysis Training Lab at Northeastern University, who joined GBH Morning Edition host Paris Alston to answer questions about COVID tests. As cases tick up, many of us may be reaching for a leftover kit we have lying around.
#ARE CVS COVID TESTS RELIABLE FREE#
The federal government first sent out free at-home COVID test kits a few months ago and are now sending a new round.
0 kommentar(er)
