Starting today, Thursday, June 4, whether a person has COVID-19 symptoms or not, Sedgwick County residents can dial 2-1-1 (United Way of the Plains) to schedule an appointment to be tested by the Sedgwick County Health Department (SCHD) at no cost. Prior to today, residents with symptoms were tested.
The Health Department will take a nasopharyngeal (nose) swab and send it to a lab for COVID-19 testing. Residents can expect to get there results from the Health Department in about three to four days. The results of the virus test show whether a person has a current infection. This is not an antibody test.
Residents with symptoms should be tested. If residents do not have symptoms, consider testing if you have been in contact with sick people or if your work involves a lot of contact with the public. People who do not have symptoms do not need to be retested unless an exposure occurs. Social distancing, mask wearing, and good hand hygiene will help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The following people should be tested weekly: healthcare workers (including hospital, clinic, long-term care, hospice, and home health), first responders, law enforcement, detention facility workers, Direct Support Professionals, and people who work in residential living facilities.
Since March 23, 15,807 people have been tested through the SCHD drive-through sampling site.
