Millions of at-home COVID tests recalled - Did you take one?
The COVID pandemic has been raging for more than a year and a half now. What are your chances of getting COVID? Tap or click here for a map that charts breakthrough cases.
The good news is there have been developments to help, like at-home testing kits, so you can easily find out if you’re infected. But can these tests be trusted? At-home tests don’t seem to be as reliable as expected.
That’s why millions of test kits are being recalled. It turns out that there is a strong potential for these kits to give false-positive readings. Read on to find out if you’ve taken one of the recalled tests.
Here’s the backstory
At-home COVID tests have become increasingly popular, as it is a quick way to check if you have been infected without having to go to the doctor or pharmacy. But home tests from Ellume have now been recalled for several reasons, including occurrences of false-positive results.
The recalled Ellume COVID-19 Home Test kits were manufactured between Feb. 24, 2021, and Aug. 11, 2021, and distributed between April and August. Over 2 million of the test kits are defective, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explained it had “higher-than-acceptable false-positive test results for SARS-CoV-2.”
The reasons for the recall are:
- Delayed diagnosis or treatment for the actual cause of the person’s illness, which could be another life-threatening disease that is not COVID-19.
- Further spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus when presumed positive people are housed together.
- The person receiving unnecessary COVID-19 treatment from a health care provider, which can result in side effects.
- Disregard for the recommended precautions against COVID-19, including vaccination.
- Isolation, including monitoring household or close contacts for symptoms, limiting contact with family or friends, and missing school or work.
The FDA said that while no deaths have been reported, there have been 35 cases of false positives.
What you can do about it
This isn’t the first time that Ellume has had at-home test kits recalled. In fact, this recall is an extension of a voluntary recall issued by Ellume in October. At the time, almost 430,000 kits were recalled, but the FDA bumped that up to the current numbers and reclassified it as the highest possible Class 1.
An at-home test can tell you if you had COVID-19 - should you buy one?
Millions of people across America are on pins and needles about whether or not they’ve contracted COVID-19. The disease is a great mimic of symptoms caused by milder illnesses like colds or the flu, and only a genuine test can confirm your exposure to the novel coronavirus.
4 convincing new COVID-19 scams that could cost you
Has your phone been ringing off the hook with robocalls in the past few weeks? Did you notice an uptick in your spam folder recently? Scams are on the rise, and cybercriminals are having a field day playing off everyone’s fears about COVID-19.
Apple's new COVID-19 app can help you screen yourself for the virus
Our team of writers, editors and producers are proud to bring you coronavirus news and tips you can trust. To help keep this news free, become a member and sign up for our ad-free newsletter, The Current.
Several weeks into the coronavirus pandemic, Americans continue to struggle with finding COVID-19 test kits and testing sites in their areas. This lack of testing essentials has bio-firms across the country racing to manufacture test kits needed to diagnose, treat and prevent the spread of COVID-19.