COVID-19 Testing

Who should get tested?

Individuals experiencing symptoms associated with COVID, including fever, shortness of breath, sore throat, chills, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of taste or smell. Also, if you are identified as a close contact of a known positive and have been contacted by the Lincoln County Health Department we may or may not recommend seeking testing.

How do I get tested for COVID in Lincoln County?

Reach out to your healthcare provider or primary care physician to see if and when they are testing for COVID.

For testing in North Lincoln County:

The Lincoln County Health Nurse is in Eureka on Tuesdays. Call 283-2467 to schedule
For testing at Eureka Health, call 297-3145.

What is viral testing?

Viral tests check a fluid sample from your nose or throat to find out if you are currently infected with COVID-19. The time it takes to process these tests can vary.

A positive test for COVID-19 tells you that you have a current infection.
A negative test for COVID-19 tells you that you were not infected at the time your sample was collected or your sample was collected too early in your infection.
If you test negative, you can still get infected so continue to take steps to protect yourself. You may develop symptoms later and need to be tested again.

What is antibody testing?

Antibody tests check your blood for disease specific proteins, called antibodies, which may tell you if you have had a past infection with COVID-19. It can take 1-3 weeks after infection for your body to make antibodies. We do not know how much protection (immunity) antibodies to the virus might provide against getting infected again.

If you are interested in an antibody test, contact your healthcare provider or primary care physician to find out if they offer antibody testing for COVID.