Now an additional problem has emerged: the Federal Trade Commission warns of fraudulent test kits being sold online to desperate customers.
“It is not surprising that, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, fake and unauthorized test kits are popping up online as opportunistic scammers take advantage of the increase in demand,” the FTC said in a press release.
this week. Coronavirus self-testing – also known as home testing or over-the-counter testing – is one of several risk-reducing measures that can protect humans by reducing the chances of spreading coronavirus, according to
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These tests can be taken at home or anywhere, regardless of vaccination status or symptoms, and are easy to use for quick results, the CDC says.
However, test kits are in short supply and becoming more expensive, forcing some people to search online or anywhere to find them.
But buyers should be wary of scammers selling fake sets.
How to find a fake test kit
The FTC suggests that you follow these four steps before purchasing and using a test kit:
Only purchase tests approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. The FDA’s website has a list of more than 40
authorized home tests, some of which have age restrictions. You can buy these tests online, at pharmacies and some retail stores.
2. Check FDAs
list of fraudulent Covid-19 products to make sure the test kit you are about to buy or the company you want to buy it from is not there.
Look at a variety of sellers and compare credible reviews from expert sources such as doctors or healthcare organizations before making a purchase decision.
The FTC also advised to search the internet for the seller of home test kits along with words like “scam”, “complaint” or “review” to catch the scammers.
“Using these counterfeit products is not just a waste of money, it increases your risk of unknowingly spreading Covid-19 or not getting the appropriate treatment,” the FTC said.
4. If you choose to purchase a test kit online, use your credit card so that you can dispute the charge if you discover that it is a scam.
“Using these counterfeit products is not just a waste of money, it increases your risk of unknowingly spreading Covid-19 or not getting the appropriate treatment,” the FTC said.
In addition, you should check if the set you are about to buy has not expired.
The importance of being tested
While the highly transmissible Omicron variant continues to increase Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations in the United States, health experts say it is crucial that Americans continue safe practices to prevent infections.
One of these practices is to be tested regularly, even when you are not feeling sick or showing symptoms.
Unfortunately, supply cannot keep up with demand, but since Omicron is so much more contagious, testing will be more important than ever, according to Mara Aspinall, professor of practice at the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University.
“We’re in a very, very uncertain moment,” Aspinall told CNN last month. “Testing is our only exit strategy out of all this.”
To date, Covid-19 has killed at least 833,987 people and infected about 58.5 million in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University.
CNN’s Travis Caldwell, Jen Christensen and Tara Subramaniam contributed to this report.
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