Can I use an expired COVID test? What to know if you’re feeling symptoms

COVID-19 seems primed to start surging again, as another round of highly mutated variants, such as EG.5, FL.1.5.1, and BA.2.86, takes hold across the nation. Just as kids have started making their way back into classrooms, many are back home again, sick with symptoms like headaches, chills, and fevers. Hospitalizations are on the rise across the country, and many local health officials are reinstating masking and other precautions, while at-home COVID-19 tests are flying off pharmacy shelves.

But what about the unopened COVID tests still in your medicine cabinet? By now, many are likely past their expiration dates. However, experts say you shouldn’t be so quick to toss those old COVID home testing kits, even if the expiration date has already come and gone.

That’s because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended expiration dates on many popular home testing kits. You can find out exactly which ones are still good by visiting the FDA website, which lists each brand, along with the most up-to-date expiration dates.

Not all dates have been updated, so if the date is unchanged on the website, that’s a well-expired test, the organization says, and will only increase the chance of an inaccurate result.

As cold and flu season looms, at-home testing will be important. Experts warn of a possible “tripledemic” this year, as RSV, influenza, and COVID-19 all seem likely to come back into our lives. The FDA is telling vaccine-makers to reformulate COVID-19 shots to target the newer variants, which are driving infections, and masks are being widely recommended again.

Still, fewer Americans seem to be getting on board with the COVID-19 precautions, as mask fatigue and general COVID burnout can be just as widespread as the virus itself. Therefore, at-home testing—and staying home if infected—will be crucial again this year.