COVID testing scaled back

Posted on September 9, 2020

In an e-mail to local school administrators, law enforcement and elected officials, the Taylor County Department of Health announced that daily COVID-19 testing will be scaled back to twice per week now that outside contract help is no longer available.

Starting this week, DOH-Taylor’s drive-thru testing will only be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with appointments available as late as 7 p.m.

The local DOH office is not requiring any symptoms to receive the nasal (nasopharyngeal) swab— also known as a molecular test — and it is free for all Taylor County residents.

Appointments are required to be tested. Pediatric appointments are also available, but a parent or guardian must be present at the time of the test.

Nasal swab results are generally returned between two and 14 days, and according to the DOH, are “typically highly accurate.” The nasal swab will reveal if a person is actively infected with coronavirus.

DOH-Taylor does not offer rapid COVID-tests, which return immediate results, or blood tests, which determine if someone was previously exposed to the virus. However, these tests may be available by your private provider upon request.

According to the DOH, rapid diagnostic tests return results in one hour or less, and while the positive results are considered to be highly accurate, a negative test may need to be confirmed with a molecular test if you are showing symptoms of COVID-19.

Antibody (blood) tests require the patient to give blood by a drawing or a finger stick. The blood test results are returned in one to three days and will show if you developed antibodies to coronavirus, likely as a result of having been previously infected with the virus.

To make an appointment for a nasopharyngeal swab, contact DOH-Taylor at (850) 584-5087. To inquire about rapid or antibody test, contact your primary care provider.

DOH-Taylor does not offer rapid COVID-tests, which return immediate results, or blood tests, which determine if someone was previously exposed to the virus. However, these tests may be available by your private provider upon request.

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