Seeking COVID-19 Testing Responsibly
To our valued patients and community,
Testing at the onset of symptoms or soon after exposure to someone who tests positive helps those infected take necessary precautions to protect themselves as well as those around them, and helps the community slow the spread of the virus. Rapid antigen tests, molecular tests (lab-based and point of care) and home self-tests are all currently acceptable testing methods to properly identify COVID-19 cases. It is everyone's individual responsibility to be tested if they have COVID symptoms to help ensure the health and safety of everyone around them.
As of January 2022, both federal and state governments are providing at-home COVID tests on a monthly basis, free of charge. Visit COVIDtests.gov (federal) and/or sayyescovidhometest.org (WA state) for more information and to order your home test kits.
The Washington State Department of Health asks those who use over-the-counter tests and receive a positive result to call the state COVID-19 hotline, 1-800-525-0127, then press # (press 7 for Spanish), as soon as they receive results. This will help health officials properly track and trace COVID exposures and monitor outbreaks of variants as they arise. The hotline is available Monday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Tuesday to Sunday (and observed holidays) 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Language assistance is available.
It is important to understand that the purpose of emergency care and urgent care is to treat patients with significant or severe symptoms who need acute, professional medical care. Emergency care and urgent care practices should not be visited as general testing sites.
Seeking COVID testing responsibly from EvergreenHealth sites means getting tested only if you have COVID symptoms and require care. By supporting responsible testing, you're supporting those patients who are in great need of care, as well as the providers and staff who continue under challenging circumstances to care for our community.
The best defense against COVID and the need for medical care is preventing serious illness by getting vaccinated, receiving your booster and masking. To find a vaccination location near you, visit the Washington State Vaccine Finder website.
For ongoing COVID updates, FAQs and more information, visit the EvergreenHealth COVID Hub.
From all of us at EvergreenHealth, we sincerely thank you for pursuing COVID testing responsibly to support patients in need, our healthcare workers and everyone in our community.
Hear From an Expert
When to Seek Testing and Care for COVID-19
Dr. Ettore Palazzo, the Chief Medical and Quality Officer at EvergreenHealth, discusses COVID-19 variants and how to know when to test for them in this podcast.