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1. How can I get tested?

How to get tested

Call your doctor

If you have recently traveled to an area experiencing widespread disease transmission, or have been in close contact with someone who has and is sick with COVID-19, please contact your healthcare provider.

Call the Riley County Screening Line

If you are having symptoms such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath, please call our screening call center at 785-323-6400.

2. Where can I get tested?

KDHE continues to provide testing for all Kansans with no out of pocket fees through March 20th. As part of the Kansas Unified Testing Strategy, WellHealth will continue to provide free saliva-based testing today and every day, except Sundays, holidays, and severe weather days from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 419 Holiday Drive in Manhattan. Appointments are recommended and can be made online at https://www.gogettested.com/kansas . In addition to WellHealth, if a person has a referral from their doctor’s office and makes an appointment, they can receive rapid testing at the Health Department.

Results take an average of 48 - 72 hours and all participants will be contacted. 

In partnership with RADXUP there are also free mobile testing events scheduled throughout the month of March across the county. 

• Saliva-based testing
• Please wear a mask to event
• No food or drink 30 min before

March 8th 10am - 12pm, NE Community Park, 680 Knox Lane, Manhattan

March 10th, 4pm-6pm, Manhattan Public Library, 629 Poyntz Avenue

March 17th, 4pm-6pm, Riley Swimming Pool, 200 North Clay Street, Riley 

Watch a video about the nasal swab testing process at https://fb.watch/2owZ8Jff8H/ 

Questions about free testing? Please call the Riley County Health Department at (785) 776-4779 during regular business hours. 

K-State students should contact Lafene Health Center to get tested.  785-532-6544 https://www.k-state.edu/lafene/ 

You can also be tested at your own doctor’s office. Please call ahead for instructions. 

3. How will I be notified of test results?

You will be contacted by phone. Your doctor or the Riley County Health Department will call you using the phone number you provided when you were tested.

Your results will NOT be sent my mail, email, or text message.

If you have any doubt about whether the person contacting you is from your doctor’s office or the Health Department, hang up and call your doctor directly or call the RCHD at (785) 323-6400.

4. Do you have to have a fever to get tested?

No. According to KDHE guidelines, you can get tested if you have at least TWO of the symptoms below OR be a close contact of a positive patient.

Signs and symptoms of COVID-19 infection most commonly include: 

• fever of 100.4 or higher
• chills
• stiff joints and/or muscle ache
• fatigue
• headache
• sore throat
• cough or shortness of breath
• loss of taste
• diarrhea (that does not have another cause)

Patients with at least two symptoms may be eligible for testing. The symptoms of coronavirus may appear 2-14 days after exposure (based on the incubation period of MERS-CoV viruses).

5. What testing facilities are available in Kansas?

There are four significant testing facility types operational in Kansas for COVID-19 testing:

1. Kansas Health and Environmental Laboratories
2. Mobile Laboratories or Collection Teams
3. Major commercial reference laboratories
4. Local reference laboratories and captive laboratories

Test swabs from the Riley County Swabbing Station are sent to the Kansas Health and Environmental lab in Topeka. 

6. How long do test results take?

Test results from the Riley County Swabbing site are taking 3-5 days. This is due to the volume of samples being processed by the KDHE lab in Topeka. 

You will get a phone call from your doctor or from Health Department staff with your test results. 

7. Is Riley County testing for antibodies?

No. All tests performed by the Health Department or included in Riley County statistics are viral tests, which check for active virus. 

Patients are only counted once, even if they have received multiple tests. 

Two kinds of tests are available for COVID-19: viral tests and antibody tests.

• A viral test tells you if you have a current infection.
• An antibody test might tell you if you had a past infection. An antibody test might not show if you have a current infection because it can take 1–3 weeks after infection for your body to make antibodies. Having antibodies to the virus that causes COVID-19 might provide protection from getting infected with the virus again. If it does, we do not know how much protection the antibodies might provide or how long this protection might last.

8. What are the KDHE guidelines for testing?

KDHE has broadened the testing criteria for COVID-19 in an effort to better understand the impacts of COVID-19 in Kansas. 

Any Riley County resident who has at least two of the symptoms below, should contact the Riley County Health Department Screening Hotline at 785-323-6400 to receive guidance and further instructions:

• fever of 100.4 or higher
• chills
• stiff joints and/or muscle ache
• fatigue
• headache
• sore throat
• cough or shortness of breath
• loss of taste
• diarrhea (that does not have another cause)

9. What do I do after I get tested?

After you are tested for COVID-19:

1. Go straight home and do not leave your home unless it is an emergency.
2. Stay in isolation while you are waiting for your results and stay in isolation if your result is positive.

10. Do I have to quarantine after I get tested?

In almost all situations, quarantine is required for a person waiting for COVID-19 test results. However, since everyone can participate in the free testing events in Riley County, even those who do not have symptoms and have not had known close contact with a positive patient, quarantine is highly recommended instead of required in those circumstances.

“It is a good idea to quarantine anytime you are tested, to avoid spreading or contracting the virus while you wait for results,” said Riley County Health Department Administrator Julie Gibbs.

Some workplaces require that employees stay home and quarantine if they are tested, including the free testing events. A workplace can make that distinction for their employees.

If you are sick or would like information about testing, please call the Riley County Screening Line at 785-323-6400. The Screening Line is staffed by nurses and is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you are experiencing life-threatening symptoms, call 911.