It took practically two years of dwelling by the Covid-19 pandemic to get our first spherical of free at-home fast checks. Now, we’re on our third. Every family within the United States—together with US territories and navy addresses—can request 4 extra free checks. Orders begin delivery this week. If you want a check proper now, we’ve a information to discovering one of the best at-home tests and have outlined the process of ordering and taking tests below. Also, see our guides to the best N95 masks and different reusable masks we like. You can comply with our Coronavirus coverage here.

Updated December 2022: Another spherical of checks is now accessible, and we have added particulars.

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Head on to the US Postal Service’s Covid-19 page. If you undergo CovidTests.gov, on the entrance web page you must see “Order Free At-Home Tests” in a blue bubble. Clicking that redirects you to the right USPS page. There, you’ll fill out your name and address. Include your email address so you can get shipping notifications. Once you’ve filled in your address, click the green Check Out Now button to the right. It’s completely free, including shipping. Only one person per household should place a request.

If you’d rather place an order by phone or you know someone who doesn’t have access to the internet, you can call a helpline at 1-800-232-0233, though you will likely be on hold for a while. Don’t call USPS, as no one you speak to will be able to place orders on your behalf.

The first spherical of checks took a number of weeks to reach, however the second spherical arrived inside a number of days. There’s no assure as to what model you may be getting, and you may’t select, however the web site says these are Food and Drug Administration–licensed at-home fast antigen checks. You’ll probably obtain the iHealth tests we recommend.

You should take a test as soon as you start to notice symptoms or within five days of exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control. If you’re asymptomatic and your first test is negative, take another test based on the manufacturer’s instructions. This is usually within two to three days of the first test—most tests come with two tests per box for this reason. If your test is positive, take another test to verify it and quarantine for five days.

If you need a test ASAP, please check our guide on Rapid At-Home Covid-19 Tests and Where to Find Them. It also has more information about accuracy. Rapid tests usually show results in about 15 minutes, and they’re about 85 percent accurate.

The Tests We Recommend (see our guide for extra retailers). Preliminary outcomes present that the starred checks can higher detect the Omicron variant: