Home Testing or Self-Testing Guidance

Home Testing or Self-testing Guidance

• Use only tests authorized by the Food and Drug Administration
• Carefully follow the directions supplied with the test kit
• Home testing kits are available from the federal government
• If you test positive for COVID-19 stay home and follow the guidance for preventing the spread of respiratory viruses. 
  • Retesting after a positive home test is not necessary and not recommended due to the short supply of test kits and testing supplies in the United States.
  • Look for emergency warning signs with your illness and contact your health care provider immediately if you notice these signs.
• If you test negative, a negative test result means the virus that causes COVID-19 was not found in your specimen, and you may have a lower risk of transmitting the disease to others. If you took the test while you had symptoms and followed all instructions carefully, a negative result means your current illness is probably not COVID-19, though it does not rule out a COVID-19 infection.
  • However, it is possible for a test to give a negative result in some people who have COVID-19. This is called a false negative. You could also test negative if the specimen was collected too early in your infection. In this case, you could test positive later during your illness. If you decide to retest yourself and you test positive, please follow the guidance for preventing the spread of respiratory viruses.
• The ND Health and Human Service agency cannot validate results from home testing kits. If you need validated results or a letter stating you tested positive or negative, you will need to seek testing from your health care provider or from a state or local public health testing site.
• Test results DO NOT need to be reported to North Dakota Health and Human Services (NDHHS)
• If you need assistance, you can contact the COVID-19 hotline number at (866) 207-2880.