Mercer County At-Home COVID-19 Test Experience

In case you did not know, Mercer County residents are eligible for an at-home COVID-19 test kit. I applied for it and the process for applying was extremely easy. In recent weeks on the 94.5 PST website, we shared that Mercer County Residents were allowed to get free COVID-19 testing at CURE Insurance Arena every Tuesday until the 26th of January. If you don't want to go to the actual testing center you can do it at home.

Once you fill out the application and are approved for the free at-home COVID-19 testing kit you will receive an email with further instructions on what to do. The emails will be coming from Vault Health.

Here is where the interesting stuff starts. Even though taking the at-home COVID-19 test is easy and pain-free, it is a little interesting that you have to hop on a Zoom call with a Vault Health employee. At least I believe that person was a Vault Health employee. In the instructions, it is stressed multiple times NOT to open the at-home testing kit until you are on the Zoom call with the employee that will guide you through the process.

This is a saliva test so you do not have to shove anything up your nose. I've had that test done before as well and I can attest that it is a weird feeling shoving a big swab up your nose. The individual guiding you through the process makes sure that you are the one spitting into the little plastic tube with the funnel. Right after you are asked to screw on a cap with a blue liquid after you are done.

I didn't know I could run out of spit that fast. I didn't have to fill up the container with saliva too much but I was struggling to get to the line that is required to fill. You are not allowed to eat, drink or chew anything 30 minutes prior to going on the Zoom call and taking the test.

As previously mentioned, overall, the at-home COVID-19 test kit experience was extremely simple. If you are afraid of actually going to the test center I recommend just applying for the at-home test kit if you live in the Mercer County area or if you are a first responder or healthcare worker in the Mercer County area.

You must mail the COVID-19 test back to the testing lab with the packaging they provide and you will get results 24 to 48 hours after the testing lab has received it.