WE'LL BE COVERING IT THROUGHOUT THE DAY. >> ANOTHER INFLUX IN COVID-19 CASES. JUST BECAUSE TIS THE SEASON AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS TAKING NOTE. >> STARTING TODAY YOU CAN GET FREE COVID TESTS SHIPPED DIRECTLY TO YOUR HOME. THE WEBSITE COVIDTEST.GOV IS RELAUNCHING. >> WE ARE JOINED BY DR. WOODS. THANKS FOR JOINING US. WE CAN ORDER NEW ONES BUT AF STA -- I HAVE A STACK OF COVID TESTS THAT ARE EXPIRED. CAN WE USE THEM, RECYCLE THEM OR JUST TOSS THEM OUT? >> I THINK MANY OF US ARE IN THE SAME BOAT. THAT'S THE QUESTION I'VE GOTTEN A LOT. THE GENERAL RULE OF THUMB IS THAT THERE'S A LITTLE CONTROL PANEL ON YOUR TEST. THERE'S A C AND A T ON MOST OF THE TESTS THAT YOU SEE. THAT C APPEARING WHEN YOU TAKE THE TEST IS GOING LET YOU KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THE TEST IS WORKING. REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE EXPIRATION DATE IS, I TELL EVERY ONE TO MAKE SURE THE LINE SHOWS UP. MAKE SURE YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE C. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE'S A WEBSITE THROUGH THE FDA THAT YOU CAN LOOK UP EACH INDIVIDUAL TEST YOU HAVE AT HOME. THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES. THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMPANIES THAT MAKE THE TEST. IF YOU GO IN THERE AND PLUG IN THE SPERVEGS OF YOUR TEST YOU'LL FIND OUT WHETHER OR NOT IT'S STILL ANY GOOD. MOST OF THE TESTS HAD AN 18-MONTH EXPIRATION DATE ON THEM. THAT'S BEEN EXTENDED TO 24. THAT'S A GENERAL RULE OF THUMB. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW FOR SURE, YOU CAN LOOK AT THE FDA WEBSITE. THERE'S A LINK TO IT FROM THE COVID TEST.GOV WEBSITE. CHECK THERE AND LOOK FOR THE LITTLE C ON YOUR TEST. >> NICE. SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVE A LITTLE MORE TIME IF YOU HAVE SOME OF THOSE TESTS AT HOME. ONE MORE QUESTION FOR YOU, MAYBE A FEW MORE DEPENDING ON OUR TIME. I WANT TO ASK ABOUT THE COVID BOOSTER, THE NEW ONE. FROM AS YOUNG AS SIX MONTHS AND OLDER, YOU CAN GET THE NEW BOOSTER BUT IT'S HIT A BUNCH OF SNAFUS AND PEOPLE NOT BEING ABLE TO GET THEIR INSURANCE APPROVED, NOT TO GET AN APPOINTMENT TO GET THE VACCINE. TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TRYING TO GET OVER THOSE HURDLES TO GET THAT BOOSTER SHOT. >> ABSOLUTELY. WE WOULD LIKE TO THINK OF IT AS MORE OF AN ANNUAL TEST AS POSED TO AN ANNUAL VACCINE AS OPPOSED TO A BOOSTER. WE'RE MOVING AWAY FROM THAT. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ROADBLOCKS TO IT ONLY BECAUSE IT'S GONE FROM BEING A GOVERNMENT FUNDED VACCINE TO NOW GOING OVER TO NURNS. WE HAD A LOT OF PATIENTS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR IT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE UP TO DATE WITH PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE UNDERLYING CONDITIONS, ELDERLY OR COMPROMISED. IT'S NOT AGE SPECIFIC. HAVING HAD COVID BEFORE DEPENDING ON WHEN YOU HAVE IT, YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE PROTECTION AGAINST TRAIN THAT'S CIRCULATING. WE KNOW THE ANNUAL VACCINE THAT'S OUT NOW, THAT'S JUST BEEN APPROVED IS WELL MATCHED TO THE CIRCULATING STRAIN THAT'S GOING AROUND NOW. IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET IT. I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTOOD THAT, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S NOT WHAT THE VACCINE IS GOING TO DO. IT'S MAKING MEASURABLE DIFFERENCES AND KEEPING PEOPLE OUT OF HOSPITAL AND KEEPING PEOPLE FROM DYING OR HAVING LONG COVID WHICH IS REALLY SERIOUS. >> GOOD