I was looking for the rationale for the 30 vs. 90 day recommendations and found this.
Study is relatively old? Sample size is very small?
Hi all, thanks for the reality check on getting a second dock – ordered and on the way! When checking out to pay, I was reminded, with the fabulous virus-sucks discount (thank you), a dock actually does not cost that much more than a box of CoVFluAB tests!
I had mentioned a while back and casually more recently that I would try refrigerating my tests to see if I get fewer invalids. I just used up the last test in a refrigerated-since-arrival box of CoV-only tests - 0/10 invalids vs. at least 4/10 invalids on an unrefrigerated box of CoV-only tests that I used up September-October 2025. I had saved screenshots/pdfs of all results, so the 4/10 is based on how many PlusLife CoV files from 2025 I found containing the word "invalid". I only had a single box of CoV tests then. All of these invalids occurred before any test components expired, and were likely at least couple of months before expiry, which is what motivated me to try refrigerating them. I'll update if I can figure out exactly when that batch expired.
On the current batch, I've been pushing the expiration dates - the test solution on this batch expires Sept 17, but the test cards expired July 17. Before I get flamed/downvoted, I use these to decide whether I should go for a run despite having a sore throat, not go into a retirement home unmasked.
I base my handling of expiration dates on the below and other papers I've read in the past, but didn't bother to find for this post:
Gikonyo D, Gikonyo A, Luvayo D, Ponoth P. Drug expiry debate: the myth and the reality. Afri Health Sci. 2019;19(3): 2737-2739. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v19i3.49
*"*Solid dosage forms, such as tablets and capsules, appear to be most stable past their expiration date. Drugs that exist in solution or as a reconstituted suspension, and that require refrigeration (such as amoxicillin suspension), may not have the required potency if used when outdated."
Also, in case you're wondering which other drugs to avoid post-expiration, "Drugs that exist in solution, especially injectable drugs, should be discarded if the product forms a precipitant or looks cloudy or discolored...." and "not using insulin, liquid antibiotic, nitroglycerin after expiry."
As far as I can tell, the sealed test cards contain powder inside the wells, which dissolve after adding the text solution.
Finally, I had a few questions about what I refrigerate. Since I have the space, I just keep the entire box of tests in the fridge. If I had less space, I would prioritize as follows: 1) solution vials in a light-blocking container, 2) foil-sealed test cards. Obviously, printed instructions don't need to be refrigerated. And the vial droppers and swabs are likely fine unless your living space is hot enough to degrade plastic before the tests expire.
I take a set out when I know I will use it, and hold the solution vial while the dock warms up. It probably isn't necessary to pre-warm the vial this way, but it's an easy way to get it back towards room temperature pretty quickly.
Also, the fridge where I keep them is not that cold (9C according to a dollar-store digital thermometer I keep in there). This is likely warmer than recommended temperatures to keep food. The unrefrigerated box last year likely never got over 25C because of where it was kept.
Hi all, I have a particularly stressful couple of months coming up.
I was looking into getting more test kits as I have one Covid test left.
Is it just stress talking that I'm considering getting a second testing unit? My existing one is so far fine, I'm just flipping out over the thought of it not working when I need it the most.
I recall that there's an "expiration date" on the testing units, but that it doesn't mean it will stop working on the spot.
Have others had testing units conk out on them after a couple (or more) years?
ETA: I did a search, and yes I saw that people reported docks failing at about 2 years, so it doesn't sound nuts to get a second unit if ours is over 2 years old - Also is it the age or the number of tests it's run?
They all work really hard and are doing a great job. They don't all speak English that well.
On a hot day, I got them pre-cut watermelon in takeaway containers. They bring their own cooler of bottled water.
More recently, I got them sweets from a bake shop from their cultural background. I think the lead guy appreciated the gesture. They bring their own TimBits each morning.
I could offer to get them pizza from a popular place up the street for lunch, but I suspect they would say no.
I don't want to hand them cash, because how much, and the job was not exactly cheap.
One of them is quite young, like 18, is likely just helping out until he figures out what to do with his life.
Pre-2020, it took me a long time to find someone good at cutting my hair. The last time I went post-2020, they started coughing non-stop mid haircut after they came back from a holiday. It's not like I could easily just get up and leave half-way through a haircut. That experience had me putting off getting a haircut way longer than I should have - I was ready to shave my head.
I found some you-tube videos, dug up some equipment I already had, and just went for it. The first try was Zoom-passable but not great, because my behind-the-head camera setup was not great. Last night I went at it again, with a webcam on a tripod and a goose-neck floor lamp where I could independently adjust both the light and camera behind my head. It took a little getting used to since I couldn't figure out how to "mirror" using one software that didn't need wifi, and the one with a "mirror" function had a bit of wifi lag.
It may be beginner's luck, but I now have one of the best haircuts I've ever had. I can't believe I didn't do this earlier post-2020. But even before, I've endured some horrible hairstyles because I didn't have access to a better haircutter.
So, no more holding a flo mask against my face, no need to break out a readimask for a haircut. No more fitting myself into a haircutter's schedule and hauling out there and back. No more suffering through crappy haircuts while finding a good haircutter.
If you can touch the back of your head and neck with both hands at the same time - you too can physiologically do this. With webcams or Zooming yourself with your phone, you no longer have to play peekaboo with a bunch of mirrors. As all the youtube videos will tell you, err on the long side, so if it goes really poorly, someone has room to fix it.
So then I looked at the test card after the test was complete, and yes there was a bubble in channel 7, but there were bubbles that were not that much smaller in other channels, so what gives?
I usually never shake the test tube, but some snot got stuck in the narrow exit channel, and I didn't feel up to clearing it some other way.
Also, I'm on a box that's labeled as expiring in a week, but the test fluid has until September. I've kept this box in the fridge as soon as I got it, and so far no invalids unlike with the last unrefrigerated box.
First off, I hope this post comes off as intended, since there are probably all sorts of ways I could unintentionally offend.
Like many others, I was recently re-mesmerized by the video of Tom Holland lip syncing Rihanna's Umbrella from almost ten years ago. If below link doesn't work for you, just google it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Brq-exSvB7Q
Others have discussed why this clip is so mesmerizing. The reasons for me are that he just does it unapologetically, without being over the top, and gives it his all.
Being inspired by it, I've carried myself differently while masking, i.e., not pretending that I'm not, even joking about it without being apologetic.
For example, I attended in person something for work that I would typically attend online, masked of course, and not making excuses for it. There were people whose professional opinion of me mattered, and I hadn't seen them in person in ages. Yes, they were surprised, looking at me a little longer than usual, and I just looked back like I have no idea why they are surprised, despite being the only masked person.
Towards the end of the event, there was a photo op (which I normally opt out of), but I joked to the guy next to me, "Trust me, I'm smiling under this mask". He made an even better joke, and we all laughed. Later in the evening, there was a follow-up social, which I also typically avoid but made myself go to. Someone came up to me and said, "Finally, I can put a face to a name," and I shrugged, "Well, half a face."
I mention all this because it was the first time I chose in-person attendance while masked over avoiding all that comes with it by attending online. I was also able to joke about my masking like I would about anything else (instead of taking pains to avoid mentioning it), and it's made a huge difference to how I feel about doing it. Perhaps it could to you too.
One caveat is that people also felt more comfortable asking why I masked - and that's something I was less prepared for than I could have been.
I like the link below since it starts with a different, much less viral, lip sync by the same person.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgxEnEzJhBA
It is. About three people I work with were deathly ill for a week with something that could have been Covid. They don't test, but at this point who cares what it was.
I had given up on discussing Covid with co-workers. But I ended up saying, without high expectation, you know, if you're sick this often, you should consider masking, since whatever you're doing is clearly not working for you.
He claimed that he's been asked to look at "this house" to take out a mortgage on it.
I asked who's asking to take out a mortgage on it - He said "Mark Kerns (sp)?". I asked if this person is pretending to be the owner. He said that I'd have to take it up with him, and that if he's got something going on with a "Peter Triantos" who google reveals as a art dealer.
I asked for his ID - he handled me a business card. He asked for my ID, I said no, it's my property, and now would he please leave my property?
Did he just get the wrong house, or is this some new scam going around?