Every U.S. household is again eligible to receive four free COVID-19 rapid test kits delivered to their homes this fall. When asked if they’d heard about the free tests in the last week, only 43% of St. Louis adults surveyed said yes.
The free test kits are part of public health efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Testing helps identify those who have been infected, so they can isolate from others and get treatment if needed.
In the survey, younger adults (under 40) were less aware of the free test kits than those over age 40 (30% vs 55%). There were also differences by race: more African Americans had heard about the test kits compared to Whites (51% vs 38%), as had adults with children in the household compared to those without children (47% vs 34%).
At-home COVID-19 antigen tests are generally effective. When a person is infected with COVID-19 virus, the tests will find it 80% of the time (FDA). The free at-home COVID test kits are now available at covid.gov/tests. Orders can also be placed by calling 1-800-232-0233. Organizations can share this information with the communities they serve by using the attached resources.
This week’s report is based on responses from a panel of 160 adult residents of St. Louis City and St. Louis County who were surveyed from Saturday, October 14, to Monday, October 16, 2023. Explore these data and more at iHeardSTL.
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Did you hear? FREE at-home COVID test kits are back! Order your tests from COVIDTests.gov. Need help placing an order for your at-home tests?Call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489)
#iHeardSTL #FreeCOVIDtests #SelfTesting