Getting tested for COVID-19 is recommended if you are having symptoms outlined below or have been exposed to someone who has recently tested positive.
Symptoms may include fever or chills, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, cough, sore throat, headache, congestion or runny nose, muscle or body aches, fatigue, new loss of taste or smell, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
Guidelines for testing
“Riverwood follows the Minnesota Department of Health guidelines for testing. The guidelines below are set up to obtain the most accurate test result,” said Dr. David Taylor, chief medical officer at Riverwood Healthcare Center. “Should you request to test outside of the guidelines, we will accommodate this. When testing outside of the noted guidelines there is a higher probability of a false negative test.”
If you have Covid-19 symptoms, testing is most accurate if tested on days 3 to 5 from when your symptoms started.
If you have had a known exposure to someone who has tested positive, testing is most accurate on days 5 to 8 from the date of exposure with the most accurate results on day 7 or 8. Please note that while you are waiting to be tested, the best practice is to self-quarantine.
Testing locations and times
You must call 218-927-2157 for an appointment to get tested for Covid-19 at Riverwood Healthcare Center. Testing locations and times include:
Aitkin: Monday through Friday, by appointment only. No weekend appointments.
When arriving for your test, please do not come prior to your appointment time; arrive at your scheduled appointment time.
Covid-19 rapid tests, with results coming back within an hour or so, are limited and used for patients who are acutely ill. The turnaround time for tests sent to an area lab for processing is about 2-3 days.