Mary Wilson
Well-known member
16 hrs ago
WISN
MILWAUKEE (WISN) -- The freezing temperatures may be too cold for COVID-19 tests.
The federal government has started shipping free at-home COVID-19 tests, but there may be an issue when they get to someone's mailbox.
"The cold weather can absolutely have an impact on testing," said Dr. Nathan Ledeboer, medical director of Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin clinical labs.
... "It leaves a lot of us asking, 'What should we do with these tests?' Particularly if they sit on my porch or my mailbox for (a) period of time," Ledeboer said.
... Test kits have a built-in mechanism to show if the kit fails, but Ledeboer said how accurate they are in extreme cold can vary.
"Whether or not the tests are going to be susceptible to freezing or not, or susceptible to low temperatures or not, is going to be dependent on the individual test manufacturer," Ledeboer said.
He said limited time in the cold should not pose a problem but recommends checking the temperature listed on the box and the manufacturer's website for any information concerning tests left out for longer periods in the cold.
... Ledeboer said if anyone is getting at-home tests shipped to them during this cold stretch, they should try to get them inside as soon as they can. Don't use them until they reach room temperature.
https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stori...tml?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter_WKOW
WISN
MILWAUKEE (WISN) -- The freezing temperatures may be too cold for COVID-19 tests.
The federal government has started shipping free at-home COVID-19 tests, but there may be an issue when they get to someone's mailbox.
"The cold weather can absolutely have an impact on testing," said Dr. Nathan Ledeboer, medical director of Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin clinical labs.
... "It leaves a lot of us asking, 'What should we do with these tests?' Particularly if they sit on my porch or my mailbox for (a) period of time," Ledeboer said.
... Test kits have a built-in mechanism to show if the kit fails, but Ledeboer said how accurate they are in extreme cold can vary.
"Whether or not the tests are going to be susceptible to freezing or not, or susceptible to low temperatures or not, is going to be dependent on the individual test manufacturer," Ledeboer said.
He said limited time in the cold should not pose a problem but recommends checking the temperature listed on the box and the manufacturer's website for any information concerning tests left out for longer periods in the cold.
... Ledeboer said if anyone is getting at-home tests shipped to them during this cold stretch, they should try to get them inside as soon as they can. Don't use them until they reach room temperature.
https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stori...tml?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter_WKOW