At-Home Tests

Multilingual Information

When & How to Use At-Home Tests

• You can use at-home tests if you feel sick or think you may have been around someone with COVID-19.
• If you don’t feel sick the CDC recommends getting tested 5 days after you have been around someone with COVID-19.
• Even if you don’t feel sick and have not been around someone with COVID-19, using an at-home test before being indoors with others helps lessen the risk of spreading COVID-19.
• This is especially important before being with unvaccinated people, older people, people who are immunocompromised, or people at risk of severe disease.
• Follow the instructions in the kit for performing the test.

If Your Test Result is Positive

If you or a family member gets COVID-19, help is available. Early treatment is best, so act quickly if you feel sick.

If you have symptoms, you can:

• Call your doctor to get guidance and learn about treatments.
• Use the state’s free telehealth service to find out if COVID-19 treatment pills, such as Paxlovid, are right for you. The pills can be sent to your pharmacy or to your home—for free. To speak with a telehealth clinician, call 833-273-6330 or visit color.com/covid-19-treatment-ma. Information can be provided in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and other languages. The telehealth service is available every day from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.  You must be 18 or older and live in Massachusetts to use this service.

For local support and resources, call the confidential COVID-19 Hotline for the public health departments of Cambridge, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop at 617-933-0797. This line is staffed by case investigators who can:

• Answer questions about COVID-19 and isolation
• Connect you to isolation resources such as food and other basic necessities
• Help you access treatment
• Help connect you to a primary care provider if you do not have one
• Provide support to help keep other household members safe (masks and more tests)
• Help you sign up for a vaccine once you are feeling better

For general information, visit the CDC’s If You Are Sick or Caring for Someone web page.

High-Quality Masks

• Wear a mask with excellent filtration. Aim for 90-95%.
• Several types of disposable masks available to the public provide excellent personal protection. These “high filtration” masks include KF94 masks (made in Korea), KN95 masks (made in China) and flat medical-style masks that are quality-certified.
• KN95 and KF94 fit more snugly, depending on face-shape, than flat medical-style masks.
• If shopping for masks, some keywords to look for are KF94, KN95, or ASTM-rated.
• About Cloth Masks: Cloth masks are best suited to outdoor use when it's easy to social distance. They do not provide adequate protection against the Omicron variant in indoor settings.

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