With the Autumn now officially underway, COVID 19 is back on everyone’s minds. Over the last couple of years, we’ve all worked together to put the pandemic in its place and get back on track towards our new normal. However, although great strides have been made, COVID remains a viable threat both here in Trenton and all throughout the country. To help keep you, your family, and vulnerable members of our community safe, stay tuned to find out more about how you can conquer COVID this season.

With cases of COVID once again on the rise in regions all throughout the country, it is critical now more than ever that we stay on top of testing and prevention. Thankfully, however, testing just got a whole lot easier. The US government recently announced that free at-home COVID 19 tests would be made available by mail. You can request tests for you and your family by visiting COVID.gov, linked here: Tests – COVID.gov. The tests provided are rapid antigen at-home tests which can be taken at home or at other locations. These tests can also be utilized to see if you are up to date on your COVID 19 vaccines.

How do you know when’s the right time to test? Generally speaking, you will want to test if you experience symptoms such as fever, sore throat, runny nose, or loss of taste or smell. You’ll also want to test within 5 days if you know or suspect that you were exposed to someone who has come down with a case of COVID 19. Finally, you will want to test if you are anticipating going into large crowds or gatherings, or if you know you will be in contact with somebody immune-compromised or otherwise at higher risk of complications from COVID. Whether you’re keeping yourself safe or looking out for a friend or neighbor, testing is quick, painless way to keep COVID at bay this Fall.

What happens if you test negative? Wonderful! That means that the test did not find the virus, and you may have a lower risk of spreading COVID-⁠⁠19 to others. If you test positive, not to worry: there’s plenty of resources now available to help get your health back on track. If you’re at high risk of complications from COVID 19, please be certain to contact a doctor as soon as possible so you can discuss available treatment options. For more information about Test-To-Treat options, please visit the FDA website here: Test-To-Treat – FDA. If you’d like to read more about currently at-home testing protocols, please click here: Testing – CDC.

No matter who you are or what your health status is, we can all play a role in contributing to a happier, healthier Autumn. These free tests are a vital resource in your COVID-tackling toolkit, so do not miss the opportunity to take advantage of these at-home testing options. The Trenton community is in the fight against COVID together, so be certain to do your part for our community this Fall.

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