This is a question we hear often at the Boothbay Region Health Center. We pre-screen patients and visitors for COVID-19 symptoms before you enter our medical office in order to keep our patients and staff safe.

Our Health Center no longer provides COVID testing because we need to keep patients and staff safe from exposure. COVID testing is best done outdoors in a drive thru setting to protect the staff administering the tests, or, in the comfort of your own home.

Who should get Tested and When?

Current US CDC guidance indicates the following people should get tested for COVID-19:

• People who have symptoms of COVID-19.
• People who have had a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
•  People who are fully vaccinated should get tested 5-7 days after exposure, and wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result.
• People who are not fully vaccinated should quarantine and be tested immediately after being identified, and, if negative, tested again in 5–7 days after last exposure or immediately if symptoms develop during quarantine.

Where to get Tested Locally

In the Boothbay area, you can be tested at the following locations:

1. Boothbay Harbor Walgreens — Click Here to Get a Drive Thru Appointment
2. Damariscotta Walgreens – Click Here to Get a Drive Thru Appointment
3. LincolnHealth in Damariscotta–Call the main number (207) 563-1234 and ask for COVID testing. The testing site has moved from the Miles Hospital Campus to the Arrowsmith Building at 40 Belvedere Rd. the corner of Rte 1 and Belvedere Rd. (right across the street from the Mormon Church and the Midcoast Friends Meeting).

All of these options require an appointment. Both Walgreens offer both Antigen (Rapid Tests) and PCR tests (which take up to 3 days to get results, but are the most reliable).

HOME TEST KITS. If you have symptoms, or if you may have been exposed to COVID-19, you can also use an FDA-approved home test kit to test yourself and your family members. Local pharmacies are having difficulty keeping these in stock, so we recommend that you buy these test kits online and keep them handy. You can purchase both Antigen and PCR test kits online. Here is a link to one of the more affordable home testing kits on Amazon.com ($24.99 for a 2-Tests kit):

(If you purchase on Amazon, please consider making us the recipient of your AmazonSmile donations. Sign up to have Amazon donate 0.5% of the purchase price by going to https://smile.amazon.com and signing in the same way you would on Amazon.com, then select Boothbay Region Health Care, Inc. as your charity. We would receive that same percentage on all your Amazon purchases.)

Types of COVID-19 Tests

PCR Tests

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests detect viral RNA, or the genetic material of the virus and are considered a gold standard for the detection of COVID-19.

• PCR tests can be used to detect infection in both symptomatic and asymptomatic people, and to confirm the results of a rapid test.
• PCR tests are always processed in a laboratory, which means the results will take anywhere between 24-72 hours. Specimen collection can be conducted by a health care provider or through a self-collection process.
• PCR tests are available at Swab & Send sites and commercial pharmacy locations.

Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAATs)

A Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) detects the genetic material (nucleic acids) of COVID-19.

• NAATs can be used for symptomatic and asymptomatic testing.
• Some NAATs are considered rapid tests, such as Abbott ID NOW, which can be purchased at a pharmacy without a prescription, and are performed at or near the place where the specimen is self-collected and can provide the result within minutes, whereas the time to complete laboratory-based NAATs ranges from less than an hour to more than a day.

Rapid Antigen Tests

Antigen tests, also called rapid diagnostic tests, detect specific proteins on the surface of the coronavirus. 

• Rapid antigen tests, such as BinaxNOW, are best for individuals experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19 and are within the first 7 days of symptom onset, or who have been exposed to COVID-19. 
• Results of rapid antigen tests may be available in as little as 15 to 45 minutes.
• Specimen collection is almost always through a self-collection process,

If you test positive with a Rapid Test, you may want to confirm with a PCR test.