mutate, experts say.
What can you do if you can’t afford tests?
Cash-strapped folks with no at-home tests on hand can also seek out free testing sites near them.
Even after the official end of the COVID emergency, the federal government continues to support a network of about 10,000 free testing sites throughout the United States.
These include participating CVS and Walgreens pharmacies, as well as Quest Diagnostics patient service centers and community-based testing sites.
The CDC maintains a locator website where people can look for local no-cost COVID testing. You should also check your state or city health department’s website for nearby testing programs.
Folks who think they have COVID-19 also might want to check and see if their private health insurance reimburses the cost of either an at-home test or a test performed at a clinic.
Some insurers stopped covering the full cost of at-home tests following the end of the COVID public health emergency, but they still might cover part of the cost of an at-home test.
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When should you take a COVID test?
Timing is important in terms of when to take a COVID test, so none are wasted.
A person with symptoms should test right away, according to the CDC.
But someone without symptoms who thinks they’ve been exposed to COVID-19 should wait at least five full days before taking a test, or there might not be enough detectable virus in their system, the CDC says.
How long should you isolate if you test positive?
If you test positive for COVID-19, you should self-isolate for at least five days and wear a mask through day 10 following the test, the CDC recommends.
People with moderate or severe symptoms of COVID-19 should isolate through at least day 10, the CDC says.
“Those with severe COVID-19 may remain infectious beyond 10 days and may need to extend isolation for up to 20 days,” the CDC says.