A Definitive Guide To COVID Rapid Testing During The Holidays

Gathering with friends or family this year? Here's how and when to use at-home rapid tests to screen for COVID-19 beforehand.

For many of us, the 2021 holiday season hasn’t gone quite like we’d hoped on the COVID front. Yes, vaccines are available to pretty much anyone, including kids as young as 5. And boosters are available for some teenagers and all adults, too. But we’ve also now got omicron. The variant appears to be milder in these early stages, but global health leaders warn it has the potential to change the course of the pandemic.

Of course, people are still going to get together and celebrate. Rapid testing can theoretically help make that safer. But as previous outbreaks show, rapid tests have limits. So how can you use them properly? And when should you test to help give everyone peace of mind?