Free antigen tests come in mail, frozen for some

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - This weekend’s cold snap created issues from burst water pipes to frozen at-home antigen tests.

“We signed up for the program and they sent them really quickly,” Amber Byrne of Johnson said. “Unfortunately, they sent them on the coldest day of the year. They were frozen because there are only three or four drops of liquid in here.”

Many residents received their free rapid test kits in the mail Saturday, as part of the state’s “Say Yes, COVID Test” program.

The QuickVue manufacturer writes on the FAQ page: “The QuickVue At-Home OTC COVID-19 Test should always be stored upon receipt according to the temperature printed on the kit box (59°F to 86°F or 15°C to 30°C). Quidel has performed studies that demonstrate the product Page 5 of 5 performs as expected under different temperature conditions (i.e., heated and frozen conditions) encountered during shipping.”

Last week, state health leaders said it’s only a concern if the tests are exposed to subzero temperatures for prolonged periods of time.

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Vt. launches rapid test website; 350K nabbed in under 5 hours

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