TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — People across the country and here in the Big Bend have started receiving government-issued at-home COVID-19 tests.
With many mail delivery routes traveling through freezing temperatures, some are concerned about whether the tests will still give accurate results.
ABC 27 reached out to former White House Deputy Physician Dr. William Lang.
He advises using caution for tests that have been outside of recommended temperature ranges for extended periods of time.
"What if it goes and sits on your doorstep for hours and the temperature does drop into the low 30's or high 20's? That's going to be a harder freeze and that's going to be a little bit more concerning for getting outside of the temperature range than other situations," Lang said. "But just because it's been sitting outside for a while, doesn't mean it's going o be bad, but if it's been sitting out all night and it's been down in the 20's, I might think twice about relying on that test."
Dr. Lang said that overheating is a greater concern than freezing and that tests should typically be stored at temperatures from around 35 degrees to around 86 degrees.
