CT stores limit at-home COVID test purchases
Demand has surged as the delta variant spreads
As the delta variant continues to spread throughout Connecticut, pharmacies are adjusting to the high demand of at-home testing kits by setting limits on the number that can be purchased.
Both Walgreens and CVS said that at-home testing kits are flying off the shelves. In fact, these kits are the top-selling item in CVS stores, according to company spokesperson Tara Burke.
Due to the high demand of at-home tests, CVS is limiting purchases of Abbott BinaxNOW, Ellume and Quidel tests to four in stores and six online through their website, according to CVS spokesperson Joe Goode.
Walgreens has also implemented purchasing limits on at-home coronavirus tests, according to spokesperson Emily Hartwig-Mekstan.
Makers of these home test kits have also felt the effects of this surge in demand, which was “sparked by the rapid spread of the delta variant,” according to Douglas Bryant, the president and CEO of Quidel.
Since Monday, the state Department of Public Health reported 2,517 new cases of coronavirus. In that time period, there were 74,852 molecular and antigen tests conducted. DPH has not responded whether its reporting includes the at-home tests.
As of Thursday, 325 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus, 237 of whom were not fully vaccinated.
An Abbott spokesperson said while the company is unable to speak to specific state data, they have quickly responded to a surge in nationwide demand by hiring more employees and scaling up production. Those measures should lead to “tens of millions” more tests becoming available in the coming weeks, the spokesperson said.
According to Abbott, BinaxNOW is the most widely used rapid antigen test in the country, with an 84.6 percent positive agreement rate and 98.5 percent negative agreement rate in people who use it within seven days from symptom onset — similar to Quidel’s QuickVue at-home tests.
Those who think they contracted the virus can also get tested at these pharmacies for free.
Walgreens overall is able to meet demand with a capacity to perform millions of in-store tests per month, Hartwig-Mekstan said. Some stores may experience intermittent delays, though.