COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has determined another batch of iHealth brand COVID-19-at-home test kits may not be accurate and should be avoided.
This is the second instance in which a limited number of iHealth's test kits have been flagged for having faulty result cartridges because of a manufacturer error that return inaccurate results, including an absent or very faint Control line.
Kits from lot #221CO20203 Exp. 2022/08/02 should be discarded in household trash. Replacement kits may be obtained from DHEC county health departments.
Lot numbers and expiration dates on the iHealth test kits can be found on the back of the box. Please note this expiration date was approved for extended use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
In October, DHEC reported iHealth rapid test kits with lots
- 221CO20130 Exp: 7/29/2022
- 221CO20103 Exp: 7/2/2022
- 221CO20124 Exp: 7/23/2022
also had faulty cartridges. DHEC says it is important to remember the faulty cartridge issue is with this brand of home test kit and these lots only. The agency is discarding all of the affected lots in its possession, and no other brand or other lots should be a cause for concern. If you should have kits with any of the lot numbers listed, throw them away.
DHEC reminds anyone taking a COVID-19 home test to please closely follow the instructions on the box to ensure the most accurate test results. If you test twice and get negative results within a 24-36 hour window but are still having symptoms of COVID-19, DHEC urges you to contact your health care provider for consideration of a PCR test.
