The Buffalo Trace District Health Department now has coronavirus COVID-19 testing. If you have symptoms of COVID-19 and want to get tested, you must CALL AHEAD to make an appointment at the health department.
Health Department tests are limited and will be given to priority symptomatic patients in healthcare or with risk-related conditions like diabetes, obesity, heart disease, COPD and asthma.
The number to call for testing is 606-564-9447.
After Getting Tested
After getting tested, patients are required to self-isolate until the test results are returned. The Health Department tests are estimated to be returned in 24-48 hours. If results come back positive, then the patient will be contacted by the health department for a contact investigation and required to quarantine for 14 days.
Positives of Getting Tested
If the tested patient receives a positive test result, the patient is aware they are contagious. The most important thing to do to keep the virus from spreading is to stay home except to seek medical care. Though it has yet to be determined by science on whether or not you are immune to contracting the disease again, you are able to move freely after meeting the requirements for release.
Negatives of Getting Tested
If a patient is tested and the results are negative, the patient may still be at risk of getting COVID-19 then spreading it to others. Even if test results come back negative, the best way to reduce future risk of infection is to continuing practice social distancing and adopting these practices as a new normal:
- Wear a facemask in public
- Stay 6ft apart from other people
- Avoid close contact with members outside of your household
- Gatherings of people in groups of 10 or more
As businesses begin to reopen, most of the population is likely to be exposed to this virus due to the community transmission of COVID-19 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Citizens are encouraged to continue practicing all of the protective measures recommended to keep themselves from getting infected.