Locals Frustrated At Dearth Of At-Home COVID Tests

MELROSE, MA — "Does anyone know where I can get an at-home COVID test?"

It's popping up on almost every Facebook feed you look at right now. The ubiquitous question from the end of 2021 has bled into the beginning of 2022. "Any at-home COVID tests available?"

The answers vary from a flat "nope" to the hopeful "following" to "I think I saw some at the pharmacy a couple hours ago!"

It's an endlessly frustrating endeavor for people trying to find the most convenient way to test for COVID-19 during a post-holiday surge unlike any the state has been through. Massachusetts continues to smash its single-day case record as omicron floods communities, making for a difficult return to school, business and other aspects of everyday life.

PCR testing has become a lost cause for many amid lines that can stretch hundreds of cars deep. Quicker testing and turnarounds at some testing locations can be had for those willing to shell out a not-insigificant amount of cash.

So people turn to rapid at-home antigen tests, which can be taken at one's convenience and can show a result in minutes. But while they are far from useless, they aren't ideal, either.

Some of the most popular tests can be costly, ringing up at about $25 for a pack of two at your local pharmacy. And antigen tests are much less sensitive to one's viral load than PCR testing, meaning a higher potential for false negatives.

But none of that matters if the tests can't be found in the first place, which is far too often the case.

None of the CVS or Walgreens pharmacies in Melrose, Wakefield, Stoneham or Burlington reached by Patch Monday morning had any in stock, with workers saying they haven't received shipments yet and didn't know when they would. Neither website had at-home COVID tests in stock for online shipping.

Some people have been relying on the kindness of strangers on Facebook, asking if anyone has a test they can have. Sometimes you'll find someone willing to part with a spare, or maybe you'll be able to hit pay dirt at a local pharmacy after delivery and before the rush.

Entering 2022, the best strategy to test at home during a pandemic seems to be getting lucky.