
Anyone can be tested
You can be tested by:
Antibody testing checks a sample of a person's blood to look for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID19. These antibodies are produced when someone has been infected, so a positive result from this test indicates that person was likely previously infected with the virus. Antibody-based tests are now available through commercial laboratories for the detection of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Antibody tests should not be used to diagnose acute COVID-19 infection because it can take about 2 weeks after infection for antibody tests to be positive. It is not yet known if a person with a positive antibody test is protected from future SARS-CoV-2 infection or has the potential to infect others. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 antibodies will be contacted by the Division of Public Health.
In the early stages of infection, it is possible the virus will not be detected by a viral test.
That was true during the start of this pandemic, but testing has since expanded to anyone in NH who wants a test.
The Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS) is a self-contained unit of volunteers, which is offering mobile testing to select groups throughout the state.
If you were tested through your medical provider, urgent care, or hospital, the provider who performed your test will provide you with your COVID-19 test result. NH PHL and DPHS are only able to provide COVID-19 test results directly to the medical provider who ordered the test.
Both commercial laboratories and the NH Public Health Laboratories (NH PHL) will only report results directly to the ordering provider.
The turnaround time is a minimum of 72 hours from the time the NH PHL receives your specimen. That means if you got tested on Monday, your specimen may not arrive at the NH PHL until Tuesday. You results would not be available until Friday (commercial laboratories are reporting a similar turnaround time).
It's important to remember that you will only be contacted by the provider who ordered your test. The NH PHL and commercial laboratories will only report results directly to the provider who ordered your test, and they will not release those results to you if you were to call them directly.
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New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
129 Pleasant Street | Concord, NH | 03301-3852