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DeKalb County Health Dept. giving away free rapid COVID-19 tests

By Shaw Local News Network
Kayla Boyd, a student-athlete at Kishwaukee College, prepares to take a COVID-19 test Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, at the school during a DeKalb County Health Department event where COVID-19 testing and vaccines were made available to students and employees.

Aug. 25, 2021 Shaw Local file photo - Kayla Boyd, a student-athlete at Kishwaukee College, prepares to take a COVID-19 test Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, at the school during a DeKalb County Health Department event where COVID-19 testing and vaccines were made available to students and employees. (Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com/Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.co)

DEKALB - DeKalb County residents have a chance to get free rapid COVID-19 tests, one per household family member, from the DeKalb County Health Department until supplies run out.

The health department announced Wednesday that through its partnership with the Illinois Department of Public Health, local health officials received a supply of over-the-counter iHealth COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to be distributed for free to community members.

The supplies are limited to one test per household family member and will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis, health officials said. The tests require a nasal swab that users can administer on themselves, with results expected in minutes.

[ Think you have COVID-19? Here’s when to test, how to isolate and what you should know ]

Tests can be picked up between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the DeKalb County Health Department, 2550 N. Annie Glidden Road in DeKalb. Each kit has two tests.

Rapid tests work best when used on someone already experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or administered 5 to 7 days after exposure to the virus. If someone is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and tests negative on a rapid test, health officials have said those people are strongly encouraged to retest themselves. They can also seek out a PCR molecular test – also a nasal swab test that is sent to a lab and offered at most pharmacies in the area – for more accurate results.

People should quarantine themselves while waiting on test results.

Unlike previous strains of COVID-19, the omicron variant might not present with a loss of taste or smell. Instead, many are reporting feeling cold or flu-like symptoms, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

In general, watch for: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting or diarrhea.

People with compromised immune systems or other health issues, such as older adults with heart or lung disease or diabetes, are at higher risk for more severe COVID-19 complications.

While community virus levels aren’t at levels recorded during the omicron peak in January and February, state data reported Wednesday hospitalizations and case rates are rising. That’s in line with national trends expected to cause another uptick in virus activity, this time fueled by a subvariant of omicron, called BA 2.12.2.1.

For a non-exhaustive list of testing sites, go to dph.illinois.gov/testing.

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