Feeling healthy and thinking testing isn’t necessary? You might want to reconsider.
Here are some reasons why healthy people should get tested:
- Get tested to rule out the possibility that you have COVID-19 and don’t know it
According to the CDC, as many as 4 out of 10 people who have COVID-19 may not show symptoms. Testing healthy people identifies any asymptomatic carriers of the virus—or people with the virus who don’t have any symptoms but can still spread it to others. Asymptomatic spreaders are a major reason containing this virus has been so challenging.
- Get tested to spend time with friends and family—especially those at high risk
Getting tested is a simple but important step to take before seeing your loved ones, especially those at higher risk of having serious complications from COVID-19. These people include older adults, people with chronic conditions like obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and COPD, pregnant women, and people with immune system problems
- Get tedest to keep the economy going
Getting tested for COVID-19 brings reassurance to those going to work, especially if you work in a high-risk setting such as schools, universities, grocery stores or as a first responder. Participate in free screening testing in your workplace or city, or find your own testing site to show fellow coworkers, employers, teachers, and customers they can feel safe and secure working and doing business with you. This, in turn, helps keep businesses open, economies running, all while keeping everyone safe and healthy
As we reimagine holiday gatherings and move family togetherness into the virtual world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, public health experts and regional healthcare leaders are urging people to remain vigilant when it comes to masking, sanitizing, and testing regularly for the virus.
Test and Protect aims to mitigate COVID-19 in Hamilton County, Ohio through rapid, efficient testing in those areas and organizations that need it most. Test and Protect is a partnership among Hamilton County, The Health Collaborative, five regional health systems, and one regional university to:
-
- Make testing convenient for those that need it
- Test people at a location that they can get to (somewhere near you)
- Get results to those tested as quickly as possible
- Stop the spread by providing positive case information to public health workers
- Understand the spread of the disease to better protect and improve the health of all people in Hamilton County
Test and Protect is funded by Hamilton County, Ohio through the CARES Act. On-site testing is provided by the University of Cincinnati and UC Health. To find a testing location near you, visit the Test and Protect website.
Remember that a COVID-19 test is a one-time assessment, and will only show if you are infected at the time of the test. Everyday prevention measures such as handwashing, physical distancing, and mask-wearing should always be practiced, even after you have been tested.
Learn more: https://healthcollab.org/testandprotect/
Find testing near you: https://healthcollab.org/testandprotect/
Contact us with any questions: https://healthcollab.org/thc-contact-us/
