The rapid spread of the Omicron variant has added even more uncertainty about how to navigate life after vaccination. Is it safe to gather unmasked with my vaccinated friends? Can I travel for the holidays? Can my children safely see their grandparents?
But rapid home testing can lower risk, ease worry and allow you to spend time with the people you care about.
Testing isn’t a substitute for being vaccinated or getting a booster shot. But at-home rapid tests can tell people within minutes whether they are contagious with Covid-19. It gives added assurance that no one at a child’s birthday party, a wedding or a family holiday gathering is spreading the virus. If you’ve been traveling through airports, it’s a good idea to take a few rapid tests, days apart, to make sure you didn’t contract the virus during your travels.
One big problem is that the tests can be hard to find. The Biden administration has promised an investment of $1 billion in home testing. Many stores and websites do still have tests in stock, but it may require some effort to find them. The administration has said that starting in December, an estimated 200 million rapid tests should be available to Americans each month.
No test is a 100 percent guarantee, but given that your vaccine and booster already protect you, a home test is another layer of precaution to lower risk. Unvaccinated people can benefit from using home tests as well, but they should not rely on testing as a substitute for a vaccine.
Home tests are particularly useful for families with young children who aren’t yet eligible for vaccination and for anyone with an at-risk family member. When my vaccinated daughter wanted to visit her 80-year-old vaccinated grandmother in New Mexico, she was tested in New York before leaving, and she carried several rapid home tests to use when she landed and every day of the short visit.
“Testing is an information business, and that information is liberating,” said Mara Aspinall, an expert in biomedical diagnostics at Arizona State University who is also on the board of OraSure, which makes rapid Covid tests. “For some, it’s going to be to not wear a mask at an event. For some, it’s going to be to go visit great grandma or interact with the public. If your test is positive, it means you’ve got the power to protect yourself and other people.”
In the United States, a boxed set of two tests can range from $14 to $24, making them too expensive for most people to use frequently. But home tests can still be a helpful way to lower the risk of indoor gatherings and spending time with extended family members.
Source : Nytimes
