VASHON COVID-19 ON-ISLAND TESTING
Testing is available to all Vashon Island residents regardless of whether they receive their primary care on or off Vashon.
Your healthcare provider must order the test before we can give it to you.
If you don't have a provider, see below: What if I don't have a doctor?
You should get a test if you have symptoms of Covid-19, which are: fever, cough and difficulty breathing
The Vashon COVID-19 Testing Project is following King County Public Health guidelines for who should be tested. Symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough and difficulty breathing.
Those at increased risk of disease are those who:
are >60 years of age, have underlying health conditions including diabetes, heart, lung or kidney disease, are Immunodeficient or are pregnant.
Our test is self-administered by patients using materials supplied by VashonBePrepared. You will swab both nostrils and place the swab in a vial for later testing.
This test is different from what you may have seen at other test sites in the news . It is similar to the process used by SeattleFlu.org and PublicHealthSCAN.org for COVID-19 testing and is FDA approved. Another advantage of this strategy is that it can be readily expanded as needed (and as testing supplies allow.)
If you have symptoms of COVID-19 talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need a test. They can order a test for you through this website.
Make sure they have your name, birthdate, phone number and email address.
A VashonBePrepared volunteer will be contact you by phone at the number your provider gives to us- please make sure your provider has correct contact information. The volunteer will confirm your contact information including an emergency phone number, collect some additional healthcare information from you and then email to you an authorization for the test. You must bring identification with you to the test site (driver's license, passport, utility bill with your name).
We can't be your doctor, but if you don't have a primary care provider, we can help decide whether you should be tested if you don't have a primary care provider. If you have symptoms that may be due to COVID-19 and you don't have a healthcare provider, please call the VashonBePrepared team at (844) 469-4554. A volunteer healthcare worker will talk to you and decide if a test is needed.
Information is listed below for several low cost medical resources that can help you manage your illness whether or not it is due to COVID-19:
The test costs $50 to conduct. You will be asked to provide your insurance information and the company that conducts the test will bill them. If you do not have insurance or your insurance denies the claim, VashonBePrepared will cover the cost of testing.
Your sample will be collected with others once a day and shipped to a certified laboratory for testing. Our goal is to get your result to you and your provider as quickly as we can.
We expect results back within 3-4 days although if demand outstrips laboratory capacity, it may take longer to get results. When we receive results a volunteer will call you at the contact number(s) you provided prior to the test. If this changes, please notify us by calling: (844) 469-4554
If your test is positive you have COVID-19 disease. It is important that you contact your provider if you experience any trouble breathing or if you still have a fever. We will notify your provider, but cannot manage your illness. You are also infectious for others so you must not leave your home for 14 days from the onset of illness. Guidance to protect others in your home from becoming infected can be found at the Center for Disease Control website. If you need assistance with food or supplies, please let the volunteer who gives you your test result know.
If you test positive we are obligated to inform State Public Health officials. The volunteer who provides your result will also ask you about your contacts in the past week. We are doing this so we can let them know that they have been exposed to someone with the virus and can get them tested if they are experiencing symptoms. We will not use your name in this inquiry. Tracking of contacts of infected individuals is the best way to eliminate the spread of COVID-19.
A negative test result does not necessarily mean that you don’t have COVID-19 disease. A person with COVID-19 can test negative for a variety of reasons including testing performed very early in their disease and problems obtaining an adequate sample from your nose. If you test negative you should still self-isolate for at least 72 hours after your symptoms disappear. If your test is negative and you continue to have symptoms, or symptoms worsen, you can be tested again.
Personal information provided to us will be kept on a password protected secure server and will be used only for the purpose of conducting this test. The result of your test will be shared only with you and your provider. If positive, we are required to also report the result to Public Health.
Email us at Questions.TestVashonNow@gmail.com
