COVID-19 testing
New testing guidelines for COVID-19
The State of Alaska has expanded testing criteria for COVID-19 and is encouraging anyone who has symptoms to get tested.
If you have new symptoms, even mild ones, that could be COVID-19 please contact your health care provider or your local Public Health Center. Symptoms of COVID-19 include: cough, chills, difficulty breathing, diminished sense of taste or smell, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, headache, muscle/joint aches, nausea, rash, chills with shivering, runny nose, sore throat, or increased sputum (phlegm) production.
Although most people with COVID-19 will start out with only one or two of these symptoms — and the symptoms will generally be very mild — people tend to be the most contagious during the first several days after symptom onset.
Your health care provider will determine if you should be referred for testing and can help you locate a testing site in your community. This Testing Sites Locator can also help you find a testing location.
Public health nurses can issue a referral for testing and help Alaskans find a way to get tested.
Keep in mind:
- People tend to be most contagious during the first several days after symptom onset, even if their symptoms are very mild.
- If you start experiencing ANY symptoms of an acute respiratory infection/COVID-19, stay home and isolated from others, practice social distancing and wear a cloth face covering if you must leave your house to seek medical treatment.
- Contact your health care provider or Public Health Center before going in to see them. You may be diagnosed telephonically.
- A test is neither a treatment nor a cure, but a tool to protect your health and the health of others.
What to do after you are tested
While you are waiting for your test result, you should stay home and follow this guidance to protect yourself and those around you. If you test positive for COVID-19, you should follow the same guidance and any advice from public health officials.
If you test negative for COVID-19, that likely means you are not infected. The tests are highly accurate but you do need to have enough of the virus present for a positive result. If your symptoms worsen, your provider may ask you to get tested again, or it’s possible you might get exposed again and need testing at a later date. In other words, a negative test result does not prevent you from getting sick later. Continue to monitor your health and retest again later if needed.
If you are experiencing a fever, it’s always wise to stay home to avoid infecting others.
Where are the tests processed?
Alaska State Public Health Laboratories in Fairbanks and Anchorage are now able to process hundreds of tests daily but capacity is still limited. This service provides fast results and is prioritized for certain groups, such as:
- Individuals who are hospitalized or living in a long-term care facility
- Health care workers and first responders (and their household members)
- Individuals who have been in contact with someone with COVID-19
- Individuals who are at increased risk for serious illness (60 years and older, heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, compromised immune system)
Other laboratories, including commercial laboratories, are processing tests for people experiencing symptoms from the following groups:
- Travelers coming from a location in the past 14 days with community transmission of COVID-19
- Critical infrastructure workers
- Anyone else at the discretion of their health care provider
Currently only those with a referral from their health care provider will be tested. Please check with your health care provider regarding fees and billing:
The State of Alaska is not conducting testing of anyone without symptoms at this time. This is to save resources and because the test is most reliable when someone is showing symptoms of the disease. Testing only indicates a positive or negative result for the time of the test and cannot predict whether someone will later become ill. Quarantining returning travelers is a better public health strategy that also conserves limited testing supplies.