Want to get tested for COVID-19 before Thanksgiving? Free testing, at-home kits available

Want to test yourself and loved ones for COVID-19 before you gather for Thanksgiving or other holiday celebrations?

More: Betty Lin-Fisher: Free at-home COVID test offers peace of mind when in doubt about virus

More: Here's how to get a free rapid at-home COVID-19 test kit in Summit County

Summit County Public Health is offering two drive-thru testing events Nov. 23 and Nov. 30 where residents can book an appointment for a rapid antigen test — with results available within 20 to 30 minutes — or pick up free at-home rapid antigen test kits.

"As our cases in Summit County continue to rise, we wanted to give the community an opportunity to get tests or be tested prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. That way, if they are positive they can avoid gathering and exposing their loved ones to COVID-19," Summit County Health Commissioner Donna Skoda said in an interview Monday.

Skoda said overall COVID-19 cases have been on the rise, which she believes can be attributed to Halloween gatherings.

On Monday, 158 people were hospitalized for COVID-19 in Summit County. The number has increased steadily since the Friday before Halloween, when 88 people were being treated in Summit County hospitals for COVID-19.

Skoda said the testing event is intended to try to prevent Thanksgiving and other holiday surges as people gather.

About 12% of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Summit County have been asymptomatic, she said

Details about Summit County's drive-thru COVID-19 holiday testing events

The health department will hold the drive-thru testing 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 23 and Nov. 30. at 1867 W. Market St. in Akron.

For those who want to be tested during the event, an appointment must be made at https://scph.link/rapidtest with results available within 20 to 30 minutes.

People can also drive-thru to get up to four at-home tests per person with no appointments. If you need 12 for your family gathering, you should bring three people in your car.

Where can I get free COVID-19 testing kits?

Beginning Monday, the health department also increased its limit to four per person for the at-home kits, which are available at the department's headquarters at 1867 W. Market St. in West Akron while supplies last.

Additionally, Akron-Summit County Public Library branches offer as many as four kits per person, but often run out, so call ahead for availability.

Summit County schools also have a supply of the at-home kits and can coordinate with parents to get children exposed to the virus tested, too, health department spokeswoman Marlene Martin said.

When should I take the at-home tests before holiday gatherings?

The at-home tests are best taken the day before Thanksgiving or on Thanksgiving Day because the results are available within 15 minutes.

The testing event is behind held before Thanksgiving to give people an opportunity to change their plans and quarantine if they are positive and test again after Thanksgiving to see if they have been exposed, Martin said.

The CDC has said the antigen tests are 92% accurate for symptomatic individuals and almost 80% for asymptomatic people. Skoda said a symptomatic person who gets a negative test on an antigen test — the one provided with the at-home kit or drive-thru event — should follow up with a PCR test because there is a slight chance of a false negative. The polymerase chain reaction test is considered the “gold standard of testing.”

Should I get a booster shot before a holiday gathering?

Vaccination against the COVID-19 virus remains the No. 1 way to protect yourself and your loved ones, Skoda said.

The vaccine "protects you from getting very ill and getting sick and protects those around you. We encourage the vaccine first," she said. "We believe there will be probably be people traveling into town and people wanting to go out of town to visit with loved ones, so this testing event is really to make sure before you do go around Grandma that you do get a test or before you go around someone vulnerable."

While the official guidance from the CDC has been that anyone who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and who is 18 and older is eligible to get a booster shot within two months, the guidance in general has been ambiguous for others, Skoda said.

More: COVID-19 booster shot demand in Ohio outpaces first doses

Officially, the CDC guidance for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines is anyone older than 65 and anyone 18 and older who is in a high-risk work situation or has an underlying health condition.

"We have told individuals, we can’t really ask you why you qualify, but there is clearly enough latitude that anybody who really wanted one could get it," Skoda said.

Skoda said her staff is telling people that if you are young and healthy and vaccinated, you don't have to run to get a booster, but you can walk.

"But I do believe if you’re older and have any of those conditions, particularly any underlying health conditions like cardiovascular disease or any previous lung disease, you should definitely think about a booster," she said.

Supplies of the vaccine do not seem to be an issue, Skoda said, though some pharmacies have chosen to only carry one vaccine and not all three.

More: Appointments needed for Summit COVID shot clinic; high walk-in demand prompts change

More: Summit County to offer booster shots for all COVID-19 vaccines at drive-thru clinics

Where can I get a COVID-19 vaccine or booster in Summit County?

The health department is holding its final drive-thru vaccine clinic from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17 at its headquarters. The department will be offering first and second doses, third doses for immunocompromised patients and all three manufacturer's booster shots. First dose recipients can get a $100 gift card.

Appointments are required.

Martin said the department will evaluate the need for further vaccine drive-thru clinics.

Booster doses must be at least six months after your last dose for Pfizer and Moderna and at least two months for Johnson and Johnson.

To make an appointment at the Summit County site or to find a local pharmacy or other site to get any dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, go to https://gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov/

What should I do if a family member is unvaccinated and wants to come for the holiday?

If an unvaccinated person is coming to a holiday gathering, Skoda recommends telling them to wear a mask and practice social distancing.

"I wouldn't be hugging anyone and I would stay away from others in their family," Skoda said.

"The folks that are vaccinated could still be carrying (the virus), so those folks not vaccinated are at risk, too," she said. "We need to protect everyone. The other members of the family should also consider wearing masks to protect each other, particularly if there’s an unvaccinated person."

Beacon Journal staff reporter Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her @blinfisherABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/BettyLinFisherABJ To see her most recent stories and columns, go to www.tinyurl.com/bettylinfisher

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Free COVID-19 testing, home kits available to be safe over holidays