Amid the COVID-19 surge, Fresno County health department begins providing at-home test kits

The Fresno County Department of Public Health announced Friday it will begin distributing at-home COVID-19 test kits to residents in vulnerable zip codes throughout the county.

Under the new program, the FCDPH will make more than 37,000 rapid iHealth at-home COVID-19 rapid antigen tests available to certain Fresno County residents.

At-home self-tests can be ordered online through the Fresno County Department of Public Health by visiting www.fcdph.org/covid19selftest.

The at-home tests will increase testing options for the public and perhaps make the process more convenient.

Other options to find out if one has the coronavirus is testing at area pharmacies, and community testing events, and other OptumServe testing sites..

“By making these at-home test kits available through our local health department, we are providing residents additional options and peace of mind if they need to get tested quickly,” said Dr. Rais Vohra, Fresno County’s interim Health Officer. “Getting vaccinated, using masks, and getting tested remain the three critical actions that individuals can take to keep themselves and their loved ones protected against COVID-19.”

At this time, only residents determined to be living in vulnerable areas of the county are eligible to receive the at-home test kits from the health department.

Those eligible reside in the following zip codes: 93210, 93234, 93242, 93606, 93608, 93609, 93612, 93622, 93625, 93630, 93640, 93646, 93648, 93650, 93654, 93656, 93660, 93662, 93675, 93702, 93704, 93705, 93706, 93721, 93725, 93726, 93727 and 93728.

The Fresno County Internal Services Department and Graphic Communication Services will assist the FCDPH with orders, packaging, and shipping of tests to residents in those high-vulnerability zip codes.

Community Based Organizations will also serve as distribution points for the test kits and the FCDPH is collaborating with the Fresno Chapter of the California Restaurant Association to help employees and staff in food services stay safe.

Each kit order contains 5 or 10 tests. Individuals can perform two tests over two or three days with at least 24 hours and no more than 48 hours between tests. The tests are self-administered, and results are available in 15 minutes.

The at-home test kits comes at a time when COVID-19 in surging in Fresno County and the omicron variant spreading.

As of Friday, Fresno County had confirmed a total of 167,361 cases of COVID-19 with 2,415 resulting in death.

That’s an increase of 2,045 confirmed cases, along with two more COVID-19 related deaths in Fresno County in just one day, according to state numbers.

Based on the demographic breakdown, the Fresno County’s Latino population has been most vulnerable to the catching COVID-19.

While the Latino population accounts for 39% of Fresno County’s population, they’ve also recorded nearly half of all the county’s positive cases of COVID-19 at 49%.

In addition, the Latino population has logged 45% of all COVID-19-related deaths in Fresno County.

The Fresno County Department of Public Health reminds individuals who test positive for COVID-19 to consider themselves infectious and isolate per California Department of Public Health guidelines.

Individuals also are encouraged to self-report results using the Fresno County COVID-19 Self-Test webpage or ask for assistance by calling Fresno County COVID-19 Information Line at (888) 559-2683.

The FCDPH does not recommend that individuals go to the emergency room for COVID-19 testing.

Instead, if individuals think they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or if they develop symptoms, it is recommended that they call their medical provider, local clinic, or visit a local testing site to get a COVID-19 test.

If a test is not available, assume you have COVID if you are symptomatic, and take steps to isolate in order to protect your coworkers, community and frail relatives.