Please stop putting COVID-19 test solution in your eyes and nose, FDA says

The Food and Drug Administration is warning Americans about the dangers of at- home COVID-19 tests after receiving reports of people abusing them.

In a safety communication released Friday, the FDA said it had received reports of injuries after people used the kits as eye drops or stuck the solution up their noses. The agency reported that some children had been injured after swallowing test components.

The test chemicals can be harmful if they get on your skin, nose, or eyes.

There are different protocols for at- home tests, but they often involve combining a test solution and a sample on a test card. People are told to put six drops of a test solution on a testing card. Then the test-takers need to take a saliva sample from their noses, insert it into the test card, and wait 15 minutes for the results. The iHealth COVID-19 test requires test-takers to take a nose sample, swirl it in a test solution, and then squeeze three drops of the solution onto a test card.

Some people have put the test solution on the swab and it has swirled around their nose.

It is not known how many people have been injured by these testing gaffes. The FDA wants you to stop it. Everyone should keep their test kits out of the reach of pets and small children. Follow the directions when you are ready to use your kit. The agency suggests that you keep the liquid solution away from the skin, nose, mouth, and eyes. Don't swallow the liquid solution and only use the test kit to collect a nasal sample.

FDA authorized at- home COVID-19 tests have become an important and convenient tool that people can use to check if they or a family member have been exposed to the disease. When you follow the directions, they are perfectly safe to use.