Why is the government mailing COVID tests to citizens and how to get them?
The U.S. Postal Service is shipping free COVID-19 tests to Americans with the arrival of fall. Here’s how you can order the at-home test kits.
The government has been making preparations to fight off sickness with the arrival of fall and the respiratory virus season.
The Food and Drug administration has authorized a new COVID-19 vaccine by Novavax, giving people another option when choosing protection from the virus strain that is the current source of infections.
Americans can also order free COVID test kits to be delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.
Why is the government mailing COVID tests to citizens?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says COVID-19, like the flu and respiratory syncytial virus, spreads more commonly during the fall and winter months. Last fall and winter, these infections caused over 800,000 hospitalizations, according to the health agency’s data.
Testing for the virus can help people know if they are sick so they can decide their next steps, such as getting treatment to avoid a severe infection and moving to lessen the chances of infecting others.
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How to get free COVID-19 at-home test kits
The government website offering free at-home COVID-19 testing is now up and running. U.S. households will be able to place an order for four free COVID-19 tests on the site. Once an order is placed, USPS will ship the test kits directly to people’s homes.
Those who do not have insurance or whose insurance is not accepted at CVS, Walgreens and other pharmacy chains can contact their county health department for information on vaccines.
These agencies generally hold vaccination clinics in the fall and winter and offer COVID-19 and flu vaccines at little or no cost.
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Who should get vaccinated against COVID-19 this fall and winter season?
The CDC recommendation for vaccination covers everyone over the age of six months who do not have health conditions that make them ineligible.
Vaccination is especially important for people at higher risk for severe COVID-19, including people 65 years of age or older, people with underlying medical conditions including those who are immunocompromised, people living in long-term care facilities, and pregnant women.
Moderate and severe immunosuppressive conditions and treatments include but are not limited to the following:
- Active treatment for solid tumors and hematologic malignancies
- Hematologic malignancies associated with poor responses to COVID-19 vaccines
- Receipt of a solid organ transplant or islet transplant and immunosuppressive treatment
- Receipt of chimeric antigen receptor or hematopoietic cell therapy
- Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency
- Advanced HIV infection
- Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids