Getting a COVID-19 Test

Who should get tested?

• People who have symptoms of COVID-19
• People who have had close contact (within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) with someone with confirmed COVID-19
• People who have been asked or referred to get testing by their healthcare provider or state ​health department
• Not everyone needs to be tested. If you do get tested, you should self-quarantine/isolate at home pending test results and follow the advice of your health care provider or a public health professional.

How to get tested for current COVID-19 infection:

• You can visit your state  health department’s website to look for the latest local information on testing.
• If you have symptoms of COVID-19 and want to get tested, call your healthcare provider first.

How to get tested for current COVID-19 infection:

• You can visit your state health department’s website to look for the latest local information on testing.
• If you have symptoms of COVID-19 and want to get tested, call your healthcare provider first.

For a variety of resources and support on managing anxiety for getting a COVID-19 test please visit the following page: https://autismstaysafe.org/becoming-a-better-health-self-advocate/how-to-manage-anxiety-for-healthcare-appointments/. Many of the strategies discussed on this page would also be helpful in reducing anxiety for getting a COVID-19 test.

If you test positive, know what protective steps to take to prevent others from getting sick.

If you test negative, you probably were not infected at the time your sample was collected. The test result only means that you did not have COVID-19 at the time of testing. Continue to take steps to protect yourself.

What Your Test Results Mean: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/What-Your-Test-Results-Mean.pdf

Testing for COVID-19. (n.d.). Retrieved October 17, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/testing.html