Just snagged some online at Wal-Mart (thanks to the tracker I posted above).
i’m hearing there isn’t really a shortage of these tests anymore. with how easily we are getting them on walmart.com, it might be over.
Thanks! But I’m good here.
Had to get some tests on short notice this week for a function this weekend. Previously I could order them online from Walgreens & do store pick-up, but this week their website didn’t have any inventory info & said to go to the store to check whether they are in stock. First store had been all cleaned out, but the helpful employee told me when they were expecting the next delivery. Second store I tried had a huge display of the QuickVue tests (2/box, $24), along with a bunch of the Flowflex test (1/box, $10). I’m not sure I’ve actually seen BinaxNow tests in stock in a store, ever. (Not that I’m often looking, & I don’t routinely shop at Walmart)
Is this a Walmart or DHL problem? (or both?) I ordered some skin-tone masks for the aforementioned upcoming function this week & the source offered 1-day DHL which worked out just fine (just got delivered a little bit ago).
i think people get them as a “just in case” thing and not necessarily for theater. when you hear there is a shortage there is more of a reason to stock up just in case.
I hate Walmart and will only set foot in there if there’s a compelling need to do so. Thanks for the Walgreens info. It’s annoying that they don’t show store stock on their website. I don’t want to drive around or talk to people if I can avoid it.
It’s a lot like toilet paper in March 2020.
Hearing about a shortage today makes people fear there will be a shortage in the future when they actually do need to buy, which leads them to want to snatch up what they can find now, which leads to shortages today, …
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Another thing I learned last time I was hunting a rapid test when I needed one: CVS has an online inventory thing that is useless. The 2 stores in my area where it showed rapid tests were available hadn’t had any for days.
I think it’s a DHL issue for certain regions. DHL is just horribly inconsistent at getting me anything within a week of the expected time.
I hadn’t even thought of buying a kit, but ordered as soon as I saw this thread. I’m not sure why.
My kid has needed to be repeatedly tested for school (keeps getting exposed) and it has been a real PITA lately to find a reservation or wait in line. But the school doesn’t accept home tests, so the kit won’t really help me there.
Meanwhile, our school sent RA tests home with every kid so they could test Monday before coming back from break.
But then are you really getting them because you think “you know what, I’m kind of running around here and there, there’s a chance I might get exposed, I should have tests on hand just in case?” Or, are you getting them because “I hear there’s a shortage, I don’t really care about having them to check but I gotta hurry and grab some anyway?”
I know, we’re a fairly professional forum here. I think some people totally miss how we’re (badly) outnumbered by demasses of dumbasses. I knew people who had enough toilet paper to go 4 years, using 3 rolls of toilet paper a week for a family of 3, who simultaneously didn’t buy food because “we’ll be able to trade” or “we’ll find some when we need it.” I knew people who bought hundreds of dollars of perishables, had no place to store them, and were throwing much of it out in 2-3 weeks. Literally, these people merely reacted because they saw other people doing something and decided they didn’t want to be without, instead of stopping to think about what they had and what they use and asking what do I really need and how much do I really need for the next 3-6 months?
Again, I’m distinguishing between “I want it for [reasonable purposes]” which described pretty much everyone here, vs. “I want it because it’s allegedly in short supply even though I don’t need it and won’t use it” which is more people in America than some realize.
Exactly what I’m talking about.
Covid is rampant with omicron. I’m barely leaving my apartment, but when I do, I could be exposed, so I might need it and then not be able to get one or ummmm six times two.
I get that. I never said that was unreasonable.
If you [not specifically you, the general you people you] are one or more of the following:
- Not leaving your place for any significant amount of time
- Not physically interacting with others, especially elderly or immunocompromised individuals
- Not immunocompromised yourself or otherwise at high risk for being sick due to COVID
- Not concerned about being infected
- Have no logical reason to suspect you might be infected near-term or mid-term (within say the next 3-5 weeks)
- Think COVID is no worse than the flu
- Aren’t vaxxed and have no intention of getting vaxxed
Then you very likely don’t need a test kit, aren’t (shouldn’t be) worried about getting a test kit in the very near-term, and if you’re snapping them up you’re wasting your money on something you’re either incredibly unlikely to use or will just waste on frivolous tests.
I don’t think this is particularly difficult.
see my responses below in bold. I wanted to make them another color, but no clue how to do that on this forum -
- Not leaving your place for any significant amount of time - what is a significant amount of time? most people leave their place long enough to get infected.
- Not physically interacting with others, especially elderly or immunocompromised individuals - how do i know I won’t do this for the foreseeable future?
- Not immunocompromised yourself or otherwise at high risk for being sick due to COVID - irrelevant. I want to know if I’m infected if I show symptoms. I need to know if I have to quarantine.
- Not concerned about being infected - okay, you have a point with this one.
- Have no logical reason to suspect you might be infected near-term or mid-term (within say the next 3-5 weeks) - covid is EVERYWHERE. most people have a logical reason to suspect they might be infected.
- Think COVID is no worse than the flu - sure you have a point here.
- Aren’t vaxxed and have no intention of getting vaxxed - not necessarily relevant. some people fear the vaccine, but also fear covid.
I have been unable to find tests even online and have been frustrated, we are down to 6 tests for 5 people.
If we didn’t have a foster kiddo who visits with his family 3-4 times per week, I wouldn’t be as frustrated, but we have a lot of exposure and I don’t love the thought of being in a position where I can’t test my kids when they have a runny nose to see if they should go to school or not, or to see if our foster kid needs to be quarantined because of a positive test, whatever. And if I assumed our kids had covid every time they got a snotty nose, they’d be home 24/7.
Walmart is back up again right now. Keep checking them.
Looks like a few brands are available on Amazon but you’ll have to wait a couple weeks to get them.
WM now out but Walgreen’s has them with 3-5 day shipping. It’s quite the game of whack-a-mole.
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Weird, as WM just had them! I have periodic luck at Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens but its hit or miss.
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1 - start a poll on this. Otherwise, it’s up to each individual to assess their risk and decide.
2 - start a poll on what “foreseeable future” means, then re-read that point.
3 - see point #4
5 - see the word “logical” and apply whatever logic you wish to assess risk and make a decision
7 - I could have elaborated a little more, but I’m really tying that more to point #6 [in which case, they go hand-in-hand because one usually implies the other].
OK, so revise “at least one” to say “3 or more” and go from there.