It was about two years ago during the height of the panic about COVID-19 that the federal government started sending out COVID-19 test kits in mass quantities to everyone.

We received 20 boxes. Most of them went to waste. Somebody was getting paid a lot of money. Well-connected government contractors from printers to labs to public relations folks. They pulled out all the stops to "help" people during our time of need.

Looking back, we can see a lot of mistakes were made. From sending out checks to people who didn't deserve them, to telling people the vaccine would prevent you from getting the virus, to sending out far too many tests to people who didn't even want them. Most of us would like to put 2020 to 2022 behind us.

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Most medical professionals finally have. I went to urgent care earlier this year with a bad cold. I wanted to get something to treat it and be done with it. I was hoping it was COVID-19. The only time I caught it, I took Ivermectin, and it was gone in a few days.

This time the doctor wouldn't even test me for it. He said it was the flu, ordered me some Tamiflu and it was gone in less than a week. The doctor wasn't interested in testing for COVID-19 and he treated it as any other virus that I could have contracted.

Not so for our federal government. This weekend I received two large envelopes in the mail with four boxes of COVID test kits. Why? I have no clue. Some other people I know also got some in the mail as well.

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They're still running commercials on TV urging people to get the vaccine. It looks like they're focusing on the minority community. The ads come off as condescending and fear-mongering.

The feds stopped their free test giveaway last month. You could get them through USPS, but I guess they had plenty left over since most everybody thought this panic was over, including most doctors, and they mailed a bunch out last week.

So, you can try to figure out creative ways to use the boxes around the house. Or save them in a safe and your grandkids can sell them on eBay in 40 years as part of the biggest boondoggles the U.S. was ever involved in.

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Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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