US households can now order four free Covid tests from the government: Latest guidelines

A study published in Nature has found that an antiviral medication called Molnupiravir, which has been “widely used against SARS-CoV-2”, may be inducing virus mutations.

If patients who take the drug “do not clear” the virus, this could lead to increased transmission, the study found.

The study authors said public health authorities should continue to investigate the safety of the drug.

If you’re exposed to Covid and you subsequently test negative, you should still take certain precautions to protect those around you, in case your test provided a false result.

You should also monitor yourself for fever, shortness of breath, cough, and other Covid symptoms.

Americans can now order four free at-home tests from the US government at COVIDTests.gov.

But some of the tests may be past their original expiration dates when they arrive, the website warns.

If this happens to you, you shouldn’t throw out the new tests, as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has deemed them safe to use. “Tests may show ‘expired’ dates on the box, but FDA has extended those dates,” the website says.

The agency has provided a list of all products that have received extended expiration dates here.

Before throwing out any Covid tests that appear to be expired—either the new ones you receive from the government or old ones you find stashed in your home—you should check to see if the products are on the list and, thus, still safe to use. If you find expired products that are not on the FDA’s list—or have passed the extended expiration date—they are not safe to use.

Immunity from past infections and vaccinations may not provide you with the protection you need against Covid this cold and flu season, according to an official with the American Medical Association (AMA).

“New Covid variants have emerged. Vaccine and infection-induced immunity is beginning to wane, [and] this new vaccine will increase our immune response against circulating variants,” Dr Sandra Fryhofer, AMA liaison to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said in a recent interview.

Dr Fryhofer explained that health authorities, including the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), believe the new vaccine is the best option for protecting yourself against new variants. “Vaccine manufacturers say they should [provide protection], so does FDA,” she said. “In fact, FDA went on record saying studies suggest the new vaccines are a good match against circulating strains.”

A top-ranking official at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently said he may space out his influenza and Covid vaccines, even though it’s safe to get both at the same time, per reporting from CBS News.

“Some people are saying, ‘Well, could I get RSV, Covid, and the flu vaccine on the same day?’” Dr Peter Marks, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the FDA, said in a recent call with stakeholders. “Yes, indeed, you could. But, honestly, I might not.”

Dr Marks went on to explain that he recommends spacing out the vaccines—for people who live near a pharmacy—in order to lessen side effects like fever or fatigue.

This may not be a good option for people in rural areas, though, Dr Marks said. “I might just want to space them out a little bit,” he explained. “But if you had to drive a lot of miles to get the vaccines, then it might not be unreasonable to get all three of them [Covid, flu, and RSV] at once.”

Starting today, Americans can order free Covid tests from the government. All households are eligible for four tests; orders can be placed at COVIDTests.gov.

To place an order, you need only to input your address and contact information.

President Biden received the updated Covid vaccine, now available in pharmacies nationwide, as well as his flu shot, according to a White House statement from the physician to the president.

The statement reiterated that almost all Americans are eligible for both shots.

“As we enter the cold and flu season, the President encourages all Americans to follow his example and to check with their healthcare provider or pharmacist to assure that they are fully vaccinated,” the statement said.

The Biden administration has awarded $600 million to Covid test manufacturers across the country, per the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Not everyone infected with Covid develops symptoms. But certain warning signs should prompt a visit to a hospital or urgent care centre.

According to Mass General Brigham, severe trouble breathing; new dizziness or confusion; persistent pressure or pain in the chest; inability to stay awake; and discoloration of the skin, nail beds, or lips all signal that you need emergent help.

As deaths and hospitalisations from Covid continue to rise, some California counties are requiring masks in certain settings again, NBC Bay Area reports.

Many counties will require people to mask in public areas like healthcare centres or jails, and some counties have said that people must wear masks in businesses, government offices, or public transportation hubs that require them.