COVID-19
Community Testing

Community rapid testing sites use nasal swab antigen tests. Rapid antigen tests look for specific proteins on the surface of the virus and produce results more quickly than other tests.

Rapid antigen tests are recommended for people with symptoms of COVID-19.

You do not need an appointment to get tested at a community rapid testing site, but it is best to schedule a testing appointment online before you go, if you can. To make a rapid test appointment, visit COVID-19 Community Testing Sites and choose the site you would like to visit.

Families can make one appointment using one email address and go to the testing site together to get tested as a group. However, each family member must register their information online separately to get their test results.

If you have health insurance, bring your insurance card to the test site. The state may ask your insurance company to help pay for the test. With or without insurance, you pay nothing and can get tested.

Instructions will be provided at the testing location.

Rapid test results at state sites will be available within approximately 1-3 hours of processing. You will get a text and/or email from the testing company that says you can access your results online.

If your test is negative:

• You may need an additional PCR test.
• If you received an additional PCR test, stay at home and away from others while you wait for your PCR test results to confirm that it is negative.
• Continue to take steps to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

A rapid test result can be negative for several reasons, including:

• You are not currently infected with COVID-19. If you took the test while you had symptoms and followed instructions carefully, a negative result means your current illness is probably not COVID-19.
• You are infected with COVID-19, but the test returned a false negative result. Tests with lower sensitivity are more likely to lead to a false result.
• You took the test too early in your infection, and not enough virus was present for the antigen test to detect it.

If your test is positive:

• Stay home and away from others. Visit If You Are Sick for more information on caring for yourself and others.
• You may get a phone call or a text message from the health department. Please make sure to answer. The results of your test are not shared with anyone outside of your public health department. We do not share your information with other government agencies, employers, or health care providers.

Tests at community saliva testing sites are polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, molecular tests that detect the virus's genetic material. PCR tests are the recommended testing option for people who do not have symptoms.

Saliva PCR tests may not be the right test for everyone. Young children, people who have had a stroke, and others with dry mouth who cannot make enough saliva needed for the test may need to take a nasal swab test. People need to be able to spit into a small tube enough times to get the right amount of saliva for testing. It can take 10 to 12 minutes to get enough saliva.

You do not need an appointment to get tested at a community testing site, but it is best to schedule an appointment with Vault Health online before you go, if you can. The online form to schedule an appointment asks for your name, phone number, and email address. Scheduling an appointment will allow you to set up your Vault registration before you go to the testing site. Registering ahead of time will help the process at the testing site go faster. If you do not have an email address or are not able to register online, you can register at the test site.

If you schedule an appointment, you will get an email confirming your appointment. This email will also have a link to Vault Health. Follow the link to complete the registration process.

Families can make one appointment using one email address and go to the testing site together to get tested as a group. However, each family member must register their information online separately to get their test results.

Registering multiple family members

Everyone needs their own account to get tested, including children. If two or more people use the same account, all test results tied to that account will be thrown out and everyone who used that account will have to get tested again.

If you or your family members do not already each have an email account that you can use to complete registration, you can do one of the following:

• Option 1: Set up an email account for each person. Several companies offer free email accounts, including Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo. You can set up an account using any of these companies. Test results will be sent to each person's email account.
• Option 2: After scheduling additional family members using one email, set up an account for each person with Vault Health. If you create a Vault account, your test results are given to you over the phone and can also be accessed through your account online.
  Set up a Vault Health account:
  • After you schedule a testing appointment, you will get a confirmation email. This email will have a link to Vault Health, where you can create accounts for your family member(s).
  • Create a login name that begins with "MNC19+" and the person's first and last name. For example: MNC19+jane_doe@vaulthealth.com.
  • Include your insurance information, if you have insurance.
  • Call Vault customer service if you have questions or need help: 800-800-5698.

If you have health insurance, bring your insurance card to the test site. The state may ask your insurance company to help pay for the test. With or without insurance, you pay nothing and can get tested.

A testing supervisor oversees the process to make sure the test is done the right way, but people do the test themselves.

• You get a test kit when you check in, and a place to take the test. Families can stay together. Families should bring their confirmation email/text or tell staff your name, birthdate, and address to get test kits for each family member.
• You use your smartphone to scan a QR code that takes you to a testing website that will walk you through the testing process. The test kit will not have your name or date of birth on it. Each kit will have a unique code that links your sample with your information.
• If you do not have a smartphone, the testing site gives you a tablet to use to take the test. A testing supervisor on the website tells you how to take the test.

If you got tested because you have COVID-19 symptoms or had contact with someone with COVID-19, stay home and away from others until you get your test results.

Saliva (PCR) test results are ready within 72 hours after the lab gets your test sample, and possibly sooner.

• If you used an email account to sign up for your test, your results are sent to your email address.
• If you used a Vault Health account to sign up for you or a family member, Vault Health calls you with the results. This call comes to your phone from an "Unknown" caller. You need to answer this call, because it is not possible to leave a message about test results. The results are also sent to your Vault Health account. Log in at Vault Health: Welcome Back, using the Vault Health email address and password you created to sign up for your test.

If you do not get your test results within 72 hours, send an email to mn@vaulthealth.com, or call Vault Health customer service at 800-800-5698.

If your test is negative:

• This means you do not currently have COVID-19. However, you could still be exposed or become sick at any time. Continue to take steps to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

If your test is positive:

• Stay home and away from others. Visit If You Are Sick or Test Positive for more information on caring for yourself and others.
• You may get a phone call or a text message from the health department. Please make sure to answer. The results of your test are not shared with anyone outside of your public health department. We do not share your information with other government agencies, employers, or health care providers.