There’s no debate that COVID-19 has become the largest health crisis in the US in recent history. With cases still on the rise in many places, testing is a vital tool to slowing the spread and containing the virus. If you think you may be in need of a traditional swab test, you can perform a self-assessment for COVID-19 in the safety of your own home to get a better idea of if COVID-19 testing is necessary for you at this time.
Why is Self-Assessing Important?
Self-assessing for COVID-19 is the best way to avoid unnecessary testing. When lots of people get tested who don’t really need to, testing locations and labs responsible for running the test results can become overwhelmed and backed up, causing slower result times. Those slowed result times could potentially lead to a further spread of the virus compared to times when results are received in a timely fashion. Self-assessing is also a great way to identify that you might need to get tested, even if you don’t have severe symptoms.
How to Self-Assess for COVID-19
The internet is a helpful tool in nearly every aspect of our daily lives, and COVID-19 self-assessment is no different! This website is an easy-to-use COVID-19 self-assessment tool. The site will take you through a series of questions regarding COVID-19 symptoms, exposure, and other risk factors unique to you such as your age and medical conditions. All of those factors will be taken into consideration to evaluate your risk of COVID-19 and determine if testing is necessary at this time. Use the self-assessment tool as often as you feel necessary and if a COVID-19 test is recommended, get tested right away!
The Next Steps
If your self-assessment reveals a high risk of COVID-19, you will need to get tested at a mobile testing center, urgent care center, or emergency room. Some pharmacies provide testing too. Call before arriving to confirm that the location has COVID-19 tests available and to make an appointment if needed. Urgent care centers tend to be the most flexible testing location that doesn’t require an appointment and has hours of operation to fit into anyone’s schedule.
If your self-assessment determines a COVID-19 test is not necessary at this time, continue to wear a mask and follow precautions to lower your risk of COVID-19 exposure in the future. If you believe you were previously exposed to COVID-19 but don’t have an active case, antibody testing through an urgent care center is a helpful tool!
