To use the test, you'll need to create an account using the Navica smartphone app or through www.mynavica.abbott . Once you have a test, visit ohio.emed.com to start a testing session.
Hours vary by location. Test kits are in high demand, so check availability before visiting a library branch for pickup.
Kroger offers take-home rapid tests available for purchase. The BinaxNow COVID-19 Antigen Self Test is $23.99, with results available in 15 minutes.
At Kroger locations with Little Clinics, a rapid antigen test is available. The cost of the visit and test is $144 and is typically covered by most health insurance plans. Results are typically available within 15 minutes.
There is another speedy testing solution in Northern Kentucky.
Gravity Diagnostics is offering drive-thru PCR testing daily from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot at 302 W. Fourth St., Covington. No appointments are necessary.
The service, paid for by the commonwealth of Kentucky, is for people: who don't have COVID-19 but have been exposed to it: have a family or household member diagnosed with COVID-19; or need a negative test to be able to attend an event. Bad weather can close the site for part or all of a day.
People who have been tested will get an email the same day with the result. A parent must be with any patient under age 18 and sign a consent form.
Missed a location that offers rapid tests? Email edeletter@enquirer.com with information.
How to correctly take a rapid test The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a guide for taking an at-home test :
Before you take a sample, you should first wash your hands with soap and clean the countertop, table or other surfaces where you will do the test.
The CDC says to not open test devices or other test components until you are ready to start the testing process.
To take the test, open the box and follow the manufacturer’s instructions included with the specimen collection or test kit to collect your own nasal or saliva specimen. If you don’t collect the specimens as directed, your test results may be incorrect.
How to collect a nasal specimen:
Remove the swab from the package. Do not touch the soft end with your hands or anything else.
Insert the soft end of the swab into your nostril no more than ¾ of an inch into your nose.
Slowly rotate the swab, gently pressing against the inside of your nostril at least 4 times for a total of 15 seconds. Get as much nasal discharge as possible on the soft end of the swab.
Using the same swab, repeat in your other nostril with the same end of the swab.
Place the swab in the sterile tube and snap off the end of the swab at the break line, so that it fits comfortably in the tube. Place the cap on the tube and screw down tightly to prevent leakage.
Once collected, send the specimen to a testing facility or use the specimen, as described in the manufacturer’s instructions, to complete the self-test.
Once you have your results, give them to your healthcare provider. If you don't have one, give them to to your local or state health department.
Some self-tests have an app that will automatically report your results to the appropriate public health authorities.
Don'ts:
Check the test's expiration date. Don’t use expired tests or test components that are damaged or appear discolored based on the manufacturer’s instructions.
Don’t reuse test devices or other components.
Do I need a rapid test for school? The CDC has a guide to COVID-19 testing in schools, as most are back to in-person learning this year.
Schools can either choose to use a nasal test, using a swab for the lower part of the inner nostril, or a saliva test, which takes a spit sample. Teachers and staff will not be tested without their consent, and students are not tested without the consent of both the student and the guardian.
The federal government has provided Ohio resources to support COVID-19 testing in K-12 schools, with an emphasis on screening testing.
More: What's the difference: COVID-19 delta variant symptoms vs. cold or allergies
The goal with "aggressive" screening testing, according to the ODH's federal testing guidance for K-12 schools , is to work to quickly identify positive cases for isolation, keep school infection rates low and increase "confidence in in-person learning for school staff, parents and students."
