On Thursday, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Dennis Bonnen issued a COVID-19 advisory regarding fraudulent COVID-19 test kits. Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning regarding unauthorized fraudulent coronavirus tests being marketed to consumers for at-home use.
While agency officials are actively working with test developers to expand the availability of safe and accurate COVID-19 tests, which may eventually include home collection, the FDA has not authorized any COVID-19 home testing kits to be made available for purchase at this time.
Fraudulent health claims, tests, and products pose serious health risks and can encourage patients to delay necessary medical treatment or forgo seeking care altogether. The FDA is taking appropriate actions to protect consumers from bad actors who are capitalizing on this crisis by issuing warning letters, seizures, or injunctions to those found to be selling and promoting fraudulent items. Additionally, the FDA is stepping up enforcement at ports of entry, including International Mail Facilities, to ensure fraudulent products originating outside the country are unable to enter our borders.
If you are aware of fraudulent test kits for COVID-19, please report them to the FDA by emailing FDA-COVID-19-Fraudulent-Products@fda.hhs.gov. View the FDA's press release here.
