What to do, and not to do, if your home COVID-19 test comes back positive

Doctors share message for those who test positive at home

Doctors share message for those who test positive at home

PROVIDERS WHO HAVE A CLEAR MESSAGE ABOUT WHAT YR OU NEXT STEP SHOU BE. LD DOCTORS FOR MAINE HEALTH SAY THE HOME- TESTS ARE VERY RELIABLE. .. THAT MEANS IF Y OU TEST POSITIVE - TRUST THE OS RESULTS AND áDO NOTá SHOW UP TO A HOSPITAL LOOKING TO CONFIRM YOUR DIAGNOSIS. <0000::28:00 DR. DORA ANN MILLS, MAINEHEALTH "IF YOU TAKE A HOME ANTIGEN TE ST AND IT COMES BACK POSITIVE, YOU CAN, GENERALLY, TAKE THAT TO THE BANK."> AS COVID- 19 CASES NUMBERS SET RECORD HIGHS AND COMMUNITIES RETURN FROM THE WINTER HOLIDAYS... MORE PEOPLE ARE TURNING TO AT- HOME TEST KITS. BUT HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS SAY SOME PATIENTS ARE LOOKING FOR MORE AFTER THEY GET THEIR RESULTS. <00:02:50:17 DR. DORA ANMIN LLS, MAINEHEALTH 'PEOPLE WANT THEIR HOME ANTIGEN TEST CONFIRMED> ." BUT DOCTOR DORA MILLS FROM MAINE HEALTH SAYS YOUR HOME TEST RESULTS ARE ALL THE CONFIRMAONTI YOU NEED. ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE FEELING COVID-19 SYMPTOMS OR HAVE BN EE EXPOSED TO SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS POSITIVE. SHE SAYS YOU áSHOULD NOTá GO LOOKING FOR A P-C-R TESTO TVERIFY YOUR RESULTS. <00:01:39:00 DR. DORA ANN MILLS, MAINEHEALTH "IF YOU VEHA A HOME ANTIGEN TEST AND IT'S POSITIVE AND YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS YOROU'VE HAD A KNOWN- EXPOSURE, THEN YOU DON'T NEED TO BE RE- TESTED."> DOCTOR MILLS SAYS IF YOU áDON'THAá VE SYMPTOMS OR A RECENT EXPOSURE BUT TEST POSITIVE... YOU SHOULD STILL ACT LIKE YOU HAVE COVID-19... ISSOLATE YOURSELF RIGHT AWAY - THEN TEST YOURSELF AGAIN IN 24 HOURS . <00:01:48:21 DR. DORA ANN MILLS, MAINEHEALTH 'IF YOU'RE MAKING THE DECIONSI ON WHETHER OR NOT TO GO SEE GR ANDMA OR NOT, YOU SHOULD NOT BE VISITING GRNADA, IN THAT CASE."> YOU áSHOULDá LOOK FOR CARE IF YOUR FEELING SERIOUS SYMPTOMS. .. LIKE TROUBLE BREATHING... CHEST PAINS... OR CONFUSION. BUT AVOIDING HOSPITALS AND TESTING SITES FOR MILD OR ASYMOMPTATIC CASES FREES UP IMPORTANT RESOURCES LIKE P- C-R TESTS. <00:05:15:02 "THERE'S SUCH A HUGE DEMAND FOR THOSE RIGHT NOW FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE SICK AND WHO DON;T HAVE A HOME TEST. THAT'S WHY WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO PRESERVE THE TESTING SYSTEMS."> THE ALCHLENGE CAN STILL BE FINDING THESE AT- HOME TESTS... THE STATE IS WORKING ON EXPANDI NG TESTING AND COORDINATING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DISTRI

What to do, and not to do, if your home COVID-19 test comes back positive

Doctors share message for those who test positive at home

As communities head back to work and school following the winter holidays, more people are relying on at-home COVID-19 test kits. Doctors are sharing what they say your next steps should be if your home test comes back positive. Dr. Dora Anne Mills with MaineHealth said the home test results are reliable and patients should not look to confirm their results with a PCR test at a clinic or hospital. "If you take a home antigen test and it comes back positive, you can generally take that to the bank," she said. Health officials are urging people to avoid hospitals and testing sites for mild or asymptomatic cases to free up resources like PCR tests."There's such a huge demand for (PCR test) right now for people who are sick and who don't have a home test," Mills said. "That's why we're really trying to preserve the testing systems." Mills said if someone is not experiencing symptoms and has not been in close contact with someone they know has the virus and test positive with an at-home kit, they should consider themselves to be positive, isolate and follow up with another at-home test in 24 hours.

PORTLAND, Maine —

As communities head back to work and school following the winter holidays, more people are relying on at-home COVID-19 test kits.

Doctors are sharing what they say your next steps should be if your home test comes back positive.

Dr. Dora Anne Mills with MaineHealth said the home test results are reliable and patients should not look to confirm their results with a PCR test at a clinic or hospital.

"If you take a home antigen test and it comes back positive, you can generally take that to the bank," she said.

Health officials are urging people to avoid hospitals and testing sites for mild or asymptomatic cases to free up resources like PCR tests.

"There's such a huge demand for (PCR test) right now for people who are sick and who don't have a home test," Mills said. "That's why we're really trying to preserve the testing systems."

Mills said if someone is not experiencing symptoms and has not been in close contact with someone they know has the virus and test positive with an at-home kit, they should consider themselves to be positive, isolate and follow up with another at-home test in 24 hours.

What to do, and not to do, if your home COVID-19 test comes back positive

Doctors share message for those who test positive at home

TRACKING THE COVID-19 VACCINE

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