Thousands of at-home COVID-19 testing kits recently given to students are set to expire by the end of the month - leading to confusion among parents.
Long Island school districts are telling parents that the governor's office has alerted them that the test kits expire on Jan. 31, but the Food and Drug Administration says the tests work three months after the labeled expiration date.
Some parents are happy to have the tests due to the recent backlog, but others have more questions than answers.
"There's so much back and forth with what they're saying so I just feel like I would avoid any tests," says East Norwich resident Kelly Puertas.
Pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. Sharon Nachman says storage of the at-home test kits are crucial.
She says if the test kits are kept at room temperatures, then they can be used about three months after the expiration date.