CHECK your SYMPTOMS WITH CDC SELF CHECKER

​If you have symptoms, a positive home test is extremely reliable!  

 Where to pick up a test kit?

• Public Health
• Joy Janssen Clinic
• Rexall Drug Store
• Petersburg Library

There is NO charge for the home antigen kit provided by Borough, PMC or School. There is no charge for COVID testing at PMC however your insurance provider may be billed.  

When to home test?

• You or someone in your household has symptoms
• You are in a household and someone is COVID positive
• You are considered a close contact to someone who tested positive
• You are preparing to have a family gathering - encourage everyone to test two- three days in advance and the morning of the big event. 

Testing is not needed if you previously tested positive in the last 90 days as you might still test positive.  If you have new symptoms please contact your health care provider.  
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Limitations of home test:

• Does not qualify for travel required testing
• Does not qualify for pre medical procedures
• May be used to establish end of isolation.  Employer or school may request PCR confirmation.    
• A single negative test is not as reliable as two negative tests 36-72 hours apart. 
• Home testing is for ages 2 and older.  Children younger than 2 years should have a test at PMC.

​There are two different home tests available in Petersburg:  
QuickVue provided by PMC and Borough of Petersburg 

• Link to QuikVue video instructions

BinaxNOW provided by Petersburg School District

• Link to BinaxNOW video instruction

​ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• Alaska DHSS At-Home COVID-19 Testing Information​
• Contact Tracing Slows the Spread of COVID-19
• ​Preparing for the Holidays?
• Quarantine vs Isolation
• Tell Your Contacts

IF YOU ARE POSITIVE ON YOUR HOME TEST:

• A positive  test indicates you have the COVID-19 virus.  If you do not have symptoms, you can still spread the virus to others.  It is important to stay home and stay away from others. 
• If your home antigen test is positive, call the COVID information line to speak to a nurse.  You should consider a PCR test to be excluded for future testing or quarantine requirements.  (e.g. travel requirements). The nurse will also discuss treatment options with you.
• Notify your close contacts.  Phone your friends or visit https://tellyourcontacts.org/   Early notification to people who may have been exposed allows them to quarantine before they become infectious.  Even before public health contacts you, begin the process by notifying your close contacts and let them know they will need to quarantine at home.  A close contact means sharing air with someone for more than 15 minutes in a 24-hour period.  
• Alaska COVID ENX (also known as Alaska COVID Exposure Notifications) is a free tool that works on smartphones to alert users if they may have been exposed to COVID-19 without sharing any personal information. It is completely private and doesn’t know who you are or track where you go.  This link will give you instructions to add this feature on your phone. 

IF YOU ARE NEGATIVE ON YOUR HOME TEST:  

• A home antigen kit is not as sensitive as a PCR test.  A negative test may ONLY indicate you did not have enough viral particles present to signal a positive result.  If your test is negative, you are encouraged to retest with the second test device in your kit 36 – 72 hours later.  If you have no symptoms and your second test is negative, continue monitoring for symptoms as the rate of infection in our community is still elevated.  If you have not been directed by public health or your provider to quarantine or isolate and you are not a close contact, you may resume normal activities.  Consider masking, physical distancing and hand washing as normal activities.   
• Fully vaccinated and known exposure to a confirmed case, you do not need to quarantine however do monitor for any symptoms for the full 14 days after exposure.  An individual is considered fully vaccinated when 2 or more weeks have passed after the receipt of the second dose in a 2-dose vaccine series, or 2 or more weeks have passed after receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine.
• If you develop symptoms at any time, even the day after any negative test, call the COVID information line.  Individuals who develop symptoms compatible with COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, should be evaluated by a healthcare provider and tested as appropriate.
• If your PCR test is negative and you have respiratory symptoms, avoid work and group settings until three days after the last day of your respiratory symptoms and fever.  If your symptoms worsen, call the COVID information line for an additional evaluation.   

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