COVID-19 Sampling

Effective Monday, May 10:

The Sedgwick County Health Department offers no-cost, walk-in sampling at the Sedgwick County Park, Sunflower Shelter, 6501 W 21st St, Wichita, KS 67205. Beginning Monday, May 10, the Sedgwick County Health Department (SCHD) will expand the hours of operation at its COVID-19 sampling site.

No-cost, walk-in testing is regularly available for residents, regardless of symptoms, through the Health Department Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. No appointment is required.

The Health Department takes a nasal, oral, or saliva sample to send to a lab for COVID-19 PCR testing.

Results are generally available within 12 to 24 hours.
The results of the virus test show whether a person has a current infection. This is not an antibody test.

COVID-19 Disease Investigation Information Guidance

Businesses

Schools

Testing Guidance

Detention Facility Staff

First Responders

Healthcare Staff

Law Enforcement Staff

Long-term Care Facility Staff

DSP and Residential Group Living Staff

Testing Information

Testing can be ordered through commercial laboratories by a medical provider. Medical providers can also order testing through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) if patients meet the criteria to be tested.
- Please call (316) 660-1022, Sedgwick County Health Department (SCHD) with COVID-19 questions.

After infection with a virus, the level of virus in a person’s body grows over time and then decreases when the person’s immune system fights it off.
The COVID-19 test will be positive if the level of virus in a person’s body is detectable by the test. Symptoms are an indication that the level of virus is detectable.
If a patient doesn’t have symptoms, a negative test could mean no virus OR virus levels that are not detectable with the test.
- Testing is a point in time. A negative test on one day doesn’t predict future results.
- A person with a negative test on one day and who is then later exposed to the virus and shows symptoms may test positive after that exposure

Screening criteria for testing (symptoms, risk for exposure, etc.) are important to ensure that test results can be interpreted for the status of the patient on the day of testing.

What happens if someone tests positive for COVID-19:

If someone tests positive for COVID-19, they must remain at home for 72 hours after the end of symptoms (per KDHE Guidance) or 10 days after symptom onset, whichever is longer.
They should stay away from other people in their home to avoid spreading the virus to them.
The SCHD will follow-up with all of their close contacts and ask them to also remain at home per the specified period of time noted below.
If someone tests positive for COVID-19 in the hospital, they will be isolated in the hospital while they receive treatment.
If they are well enough to be released, they must remain at home for 72 hours after the end of symptoms (per KDHE Guidance) or 10 days after symptom onset, whichever is longer.
They should stay away from other people in their home to avoid spreading the virus to them.
The SCHD Disease Investigator will help identify all of their close contacts, who will be referred to KDHE for follow-up. This only occurs if the person gives SCHD permission. Close contacts should complete the modified in-home quarantine for the specified period noted below.

Sedgwick County COVID-19 Modified Quarantine

Sedgwick County residents exposed to COVID-19-positive people may complete in-home quarantine for a shortened length of time, following KDHE guidelines. Previously, close contacts and travelers had to quarantine and monitor symptoms for 14 days until they could leave their home and return to in-person work.

The new guidance applies to people who are close contacts or who have traveled and who do not have COVID-19 symptoms.
This guidance does not apply to people who have tested positive.

7-Day Quarantine – no symptoms and with testing (English, Spanish, and Vietnamese Graphics)

After exposure, monitor yourself for symptoms daily for 14 full days. Infection can still develop through day 14.
If you have no symptoms by Day 6, get a PCR test using a nasopharyngeal (nose) swab or a saliva sample.
- Antigen and antibody tests are NOT allowed for this purpose.
If the test is negative, and you remain symptom-free, you can leave in-home quarantine after seven full days, which is on Day 8.
If results are still pending on Day 8, you should remain in-home quarantine until receiving your results.

10-Day Quarantine – no symptoms and no testing (English, Spanish, and Vietnamese Graphics)

After exposure, monitor yourself for symptoms daily for 14 full days. Infection can still develop through day 14.
If you have no symptoms during the 10 days, you can be released from quarantine without a test on Day 11.

People who develop symptoms or who wish to be tested while in quarantine can view the testing locator website to find a testing location near you.
The Health Department recommends that all close contacts test for COVID-19 at day six or seven of quarantine to ensure viral load is high enough to detect the virus.
If a resident tests positive for COVID-19, the resident can spread coronavirus and should remain at home in isolation for 10 days from the day symptoms started or 72 hours after symptoms stop, whichever is longer (minimum of 10 days).
You are a "close contact" if any of the following situations happened while you spent time with a person with COVID-19, even if they didn't have symptoms:
- Were within 6 feet of the person for 10 consecutive minutes or more
- Had contact with the person's respiratory secretions (for example, coughed or sneezed on; kissed; contact with a dirty tissue; shared a drinking glass, food, towels, or other personal items).
- Live with the person or stayed overnight for at least one night in a house with the person.

Modified Disease Investigation

The Health Department has modified their disease investigation protocol, prioritizing case investigations based on the level of risk for spread of the disease.
Disease Investigators will investigate COVID-19-positive people (cases) tested through the Health Department, cases from reported clusters and potential clusters, cases reported from schools, cases in school-aged children not reported from schools, and other cases as resources allow.
In order to help contain the spread of disease, all people who test positive should reach out to their close contacts and let them know of the exposure and about the 7- and 10-day in-home modified quarantine under the guidance above.

For more information, please visit:

CDC Coronavirus website at https://www.cdc.gov
Sedgwick County COVID-19 facts and details.