There are several options for COVID-19 tests now. This includes finding testing locations at pharmacies and getting at-home rapid-antigen tests from Montgomery County. Or you can pick them up at your local drugstore or order them online. A source for free tests can be found at the end of this article.
To make sure you are conducting these self-tests correctly here’s what a professor from Australia’s Griffith University recommends:
The advantage of the at-home tests is getting your results in a matter of minutes. But don’t rush the process. Be sure you read the directions all the way through.
Follow the directions carefully or you could get an inaccurate result. All at-home rapid-antigen tests are not the same. Some COVID-19 at-home tests have an app you can follow in addition to the directions in the package.
Do the nose swab properly.
This is the main way the test determines if you have COVID-19. Touching the cotton part of the swab could contaminate your test and yield inaccurate results. Blow your nose before collecting the swab sample. And make sure you’re putting the swab in your nostril at the correct angle. Instead of just going directly up, make sure you go sideways with the swab. You want to swab the tissue that lines the nasal passages.
And finally, read the test results carefully and within the allotted time.
Free at-home rapid-antigen test packages are available from this website. Orders ship in 7 to 12 days. Homes in regions most vulnerable and hardest hit by COVID-19 will be prioritized, according to covidtests.gov
