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The Biden administration’s program to make 1 billion COVID-19 rapid tests available to Americans across the country appears to be exacerbating pharmacy supply shortages and making it more difficult for Americans to find tests on short notice after a virus exposure, say some pharmacists and state officials. “It’s just a matter of numbers. I mean, there’s just no question that you take a billion tests out of the supply chain, and it’s going to have an impact,” said Kurt Proctor, senior vice president of strategic initiatives at the National Community Pharmacists Association. (Cohen, 1/27)

A new poll finds that more than 60 percent of U.S. adults who tried to get an at-home COVID-19 test reported difficulty doing so, underscoring problems with testing access.  The survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 62 percent of U.S. adults who tried to get an at-home coronavirus test in the past month had difficulty, compared to 38 percent who found it easy.  (Sullivan, 1/28)

Montana counties are preparing to distribute 650,000 rapid COVID-19 tests at no cost to residents, Gov. Greg Gianforte said Thursday. The state health department spent $5.5 million in federal COVID-19 relief money to order the tests earlier this month. (1/27)

It’s Friday and you’ve got a scratchy throat and a mild headache. Time to play “Cold? Covid? Or Just Crazy?”—the only game more popular than Wordle. Or you could open up your medicine cabinet and power-on a small white box. Swab your nose with a Lego-like stick, then slide that into the illuminated gadget. About 20 minutes later, your iPhone buzzes: “COVID-19 Positive.” (Stern, 1/27)

The federal government in January launched a website so that people in the United States can order free at-home antigen test kits in response to the surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. But many people remain confused about these rapid tests and how they work. If you’re one of them, don’t worry. We’ll break down just how reliable these tests are and what your next move should be if you’re looking to get tested. (Tan, 1/27)

It's a problem a growing number of Americans have had to face: If someone in your household tests positive for COVID-19, what can you do to protect everyone else at home? As Omicron continues to spread, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has revised its recommendations for Americans living in the same home as others who have tested positive for COVID-19, updating the major changes the agency made late last month to its guidance on isolation and quarantine. (Tin, 1/27)

States across the country are scaling back their contact tracing efforts, often focusing on vulnerable communities and relying more on Americans to alert close contacts themselves after testing positive for COVID. As vaccines have become available, the virus has become more infectious and life has slowly headed more toward normal, health officials have come to view contact tracing as a relatively inefficient use of resources. (Owens, 1/28)