The Biden Administration is stepping in as COVID-19 cases surge across the country. President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that all Americans will be able to get a COVID-19 test mailed to their home in the new year.
500 million rapid at-home tests will be available to request online once the site is live in January.
Biden says this step plus vaccinations will slow the surge of COVID-19.
"The best thing to do is get fully vaccinated and get your booster shot, and no, this is not March of 2020," he says. "200 million people are fully vaccinated. We're prepared. We know more. We just have to stay focused."
Dr. Nirali Bora, medical director of the Kent County Health Department, says there are even reliable tests in pharmacies, like BinaxNow.
"I think the at-home antigen tests have a role in the place of reducing the transmission of COVID," she says.
Dr. Bora says if you test negative and you don't have symptoms, it's not necessary to get a PCR test. But if you have symptoms and still test negative with an at-home test, you might want a second opinion.
"If someone does have symptoms, we do know that these tests are about 90 percent accurate, so there's gonna be a chance they have COVID," she says.
If you do test positive at home, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is urging you to call your local health department to let them know.
"At-home tests are a great addition to our toolbox for filing COVID-19," Dr. Alexis Travis, Senior Deputy Director for the Public Health Administration with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says. "They are not reported on automatically."
As for testing before gathering for the holiday season, Dr. Bora says getting a test beforehand is always preferred.
"A test is only helpful on the day you get the test, but people are really paying attention," she says. "They'll take a test then they'll be careful by not going out too much or seeing too many different people, so that when they do go see family, they can feel more confident that they haven't been exposed to someone who may have COVID."
The Biden Administration is also calling on military personnel to help as well, bringing hundreds of military doctors, nurses and veterans to hospitals across the country to help lighten the load for healthcare workers. There's no word yet if that'll include facilities here in West Michigan.
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