VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — With so many people sick from COVID-19 or exposed to the virus, at-home or over-the-counter test kits are flying off the shelves.
If you do get your hands on one, public health experts want to see positive results from these kits reported — even if it's not required.
"Some tests actually have a reporting mechanism built into the test," said Dr. Brooke Rossheim, a public health physician specialist with Virginia Department of Health (VDH).
Whether it's through an app or a telehealth proctor, some self-testing options can automatically report positive results to public health officials.
Although, not every kind of self-test has that feature.
In which case, Dr. Rossheim highly recommended self-reporting a positive result by calling your local health department.
"A lot of things in the public health response are going to flow from those test results," he said.
Not only does VDH get a better idea of where clusters or outbreaks may be in the area, but Dr. Rossheim said adequate reporting can also improve efforts like testing clinics, vaccine clinics and COVID-19 education.
"We certainly want people to report test results to us," he added. "That is medical information. That is confidential."
And your task to self-report does not stop there. If you test positive, you should call your doctor.
"That way, the doctor can look to see if that person should be referred for monoclonal antibody therapy or if that person should come in for an office visit or should be screened for oral antiviral drugs," said Dr. Rossheim.
He also said that, at this point, VDH does not have an online portal for self-reporting positive results.