By Elise Nam, Alliance Intern from Barnard College ‘24
As the cold and flu – and now COVID – season quickly approaches, don’t forget to order your free COVID tests. I remember in the early pandemic when I waited in a three-hour long line, flipping between my park and drive function as I inched through the sea of cars to get a COVID test. The testing landscape quickly changed from drive throughs and urgent care visits to quick and easy at-home or do-it-yourself tests. My college required me to test weekly, and while they no longer require testing, I have become an expert with a cotton swab and test tube.
The US Department of Health and Human Services is offering four free COVID tests, which you can order here. There are also over-the-counter tests at drugstores and thousands of free testing sites which you can locate here. These tests are rapid antigen at-home tests and give results in as little as 15 minutes. Medical advice for COVID-19 has drastically changed due to the emergence of vaccines and research, and it can be confusing to keep up with the latest advice.
When should I take a test?
- You are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms such as a fever, sore throat, runny nose, or loss of taste and smell
- You have been in-contact within 5 days with someone who has tested positive
- If you are attending a gathering, “especially those who are at risk of severe disease or may not be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines” (COVID.gov)
What should I do if I test positive?
- Stay home for the first 5 days
- If you had no symptoms, day 1 is the first full day after you received your test response
- If you have symptoms, day 1 is the first full day of when symptoms started (irrespective of when you tested)
- Wear a high-quality mask such as a KN95
- Talk to your doctor or healthcare professional about potential treatment options
- Find a Test-to-Treat program
How can I help prevent the spread of COVID-19?
- Stay up to date on vaccines
- Wear a KN95 mask if you are experiencing symptoms or in an indoor public space
- Wash your hands and use hand sanitizer
An additional benefit of wearing a KN95 mask is that it will help protect you from the flu, as well as COVID. The CDC found that the measures to reduce COVID, especially the use of a KN95 mask, drastically reduced flu cases from more than 20% to only 2.3%, an 88% decrease in reported cases.