Shortage of home COVID-19 tests hurts fight against pandemic, experts say

The U.S. has a surplus of coronavirus vaccines. What it lacks, unlike countries in Asia and Europe, is an adequate supply of rapid COVID-19 tests that Americans can administer in the comfort of their own home. 

Try to get your hands on a pack of over-the-counter COVID-19 tests at your local pharmacy and you're likely to find empty shelves. If any are in stock, they will cost roughly $24 a pair — a hefty price for many Americans. That helps explain why it is the norm for consumers to check their health status only when traveling or attending a special event, rather than using a rapid antigen test regularly, which experts say is a more effective way to contain the disease.

To alleviate the problem, the Biden administration this month announced it would invest $1 billion to expand the supply of at-home COVID-19 tests. President Joe Biden in September invoked the Defense Production Act to increase the production of rapid testing kits and help major retailers make them more accessible. He also pledged $2 billion to make roughly 280 million tests, although that amounts to less than one test a year per U.S. resident.