NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio — A woman called News 5 Investigators after a mail delivery caught her by surprise with nearly a dozen expired COVID test kits provided for free by the federal government.
Was it a good stash or are they trash? The answer about whether you can still use expired tests like the ones delivered to Betsy Musbach takes some digging.
"I don't feel very confident about them,” said Musbach.
She received eight boxes of free at-home COVID test kits courtesy of Uncle Sam.
To Musbach though, they’re more of a hindrance.
"They aren't getting rid of them, they're not going to get stuck, they're going to send them to us. I'll be their trash can,” said Musbach.
Earlier this month, the federal government suspended its program for offering the free tests, citing a lack of congressional funding to replenish the stockpile.
Betsy got in her request just days before the deadline.
"I thought this was great, we're set. I looked at them. Every box and every single box is expired,” said Musbach.
Six expired last month and two expired in July.
News 5 Investigator Tara Morgan took Betsy’s concerns to Dr. Daniel Rhoads, a microbiologist at The Cleveland Clinic.
"It was good they came to market very quickly but they didn't have time to do stability studies like they normally would,” said Rhoads.
Rhoads says the at-home COVID test boxes might be labeled with a past expiration date but additional studies have shown they can have a longer shelf life.
"If it's within the new out-date it has demonstrated that it is still accurate,” said Dr. Rhoads.
The FDA’s website shows test brands with updated expiration dates and most have been extended.
Morgan started the process with Betsy on how to search the FDA site for expiration dates.
One of the eight boxes Betsy received appears to show a shelf life extension through mid-January.
"Okay, great I have a few months to get COVID and know it,” said Musbach. She wanted the tests handy for herself and her husband. She worries about complications with immune problems.
Last year, Betsy ended up in the hospital for four days.
"I could not breathe, I mean just like that, and they thought it was COVID and they tested me and it was not, but I spent four days with an unknown virus, so yeah, this is really important,” said Musbach.
She says she’s computer savvy but wonders about those who aren’t and may not know to double-check with the federal government.
"You're the source, you have been the source and you're unreliable,” said Musbach.
Rhoads says the challenge with an expired test is that it could be less sensitive than when it was first manufactured so you could have a potential false negative.
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