Backed by millions in public and private cash, rapid Covid tests are coming to stores near you Scientists and lawmakers agree that over-the-counter Covid tests could allow desk workers to settle back into their cubicles and make it easier to reopen schools and travel. But even as entrepreneurs race their products to market, armed with millions of dollars in venture capital and government investment, the demand for Covid testing has waned. Manufacturing and bureaucratic delays have also kept rapid tests from hitting store shelves in large numbers, though the industry was energized by the Food and Drug Administration's greenlighting of two more over-the-counter tests Wednesday.