CARTERVILLE, Ill. (WSIL) -- The holiday season saw a surge of COVID-19 cases as well as demand for at-home testing kits.
Ben Calcaterra, a pharmacist and manager of three stores, including Carterville Family Drug, says they've been out of testing kits since around Christmas.
It's a stark contrast to the summer season, where at-home test kits were plentiful according to Calcaterra. But a holiday season rush sent test kits flying out of shelves. Calcaterra says those kits are useful for small gatherings.
"It's really essential that we have access to these at home rapid tests... instead of having to predate a test the day before to know if you're going to be carrying the virus into a party," Calcaterra said.
The three stores sold more than 100 at-home test kits in the last six months. Each box the store buys comes with 10 kits, with each kit containing two tests Calcaterra says.
He's been keeping contact with his suppliers who are also waiting for at-home tests themselves. Calcaterra is trying to avoid supplier attempting to price gouge the tests so customers don't overpay.
"Typically when demands like this happen prices do fluctuate a bit," Calcaterra said. "I don't suspect that the price will increase greatly but there surely will be a change in price."
If you get your hands on an at-home test and your result comes out positive, Calcaterra suggests informing your doctor about your results so that you can have appropriate medical guidance.