(Sedgwick County, Kan.) – This week, mobile testing sites will begin across the county. The Sedgwick County Health Department (SCHD) will operate these sites weekly to provide coronavirus testing opportunities to areas where residents are isolated or have a lack of transportation to healthcare facilities already providing testing. The first mobile site will be from 9 a.m. to noon, on Thursday, June 11 at the Clearwater Senior and Community Center, 921 E. Janet Ave. in Clearwater. More June dates will be announced soon.

Mobile testing opportunities will support the community by providing increased access to no cost coronavirus testing for Sedgwick County residents, including special populations, such as people who are disabled, intellectually or developmentally disabled, and Sedgwick County residents over the age of 60 with underlying medical conditions who are at high-risk for severe disease.

Sedgwick County residents can dial 2-1-1 (United Way of the Plains) to schedule an appointment to be tested by the SCHD at one of our mobile testing sites whether a person has COVID-19 symptoms or not. Walk-ups are also permitted. The SCHD will take a nasopharyngeal (nose) swab and send it to a lab for COVID-19 testing. Generally, results are returned from the Health Department in three to four days. The results of the virus test show whether a person has current infection. This is not an antibody test.

Residents with symptoms should be tested. Although symptoms are not required for testing, the most common COVID-19 symptoms include:

  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fever
  • Chills or shivering
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • Sore throat
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Diarrhea
  • Fatigue or feeling more tired than normal

If residents do not have symptoms, consider testing if you have been in contact with sick people or if your work involves a lot of contact with the public. People who do not have symptoms do not need to be retested unless an exposure occurs. Social distancing, mask wearing, and good hand hygiene will help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

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