HRMC Receives At-Home Test Kits from State

February 03, 2022

HURON, SD – Huron Regional Medical Center is helping to distribute the free at-home COVID-19 test kits which are part of the South Dakota Department of Health’s statewide distribution of test kits.

The kits, received by HRMC this week, are part of one million Flowflex® COVID-19 antigen home tests, SD-DOH has procured to be distributed free of charge to state residents. These tests complement test kits by Vault Health® which have been available for over a year through the Department’s website.

Flowflex® COVID-19 antigen tests can be done at home in as little as 15 minutes using the provided step-by-step instruction guide included in each test kit. These antigen tests are reliable, and if you receive a positive result, you do not need confirmation through your healthcare provider. The Department encourages residents that test positive to follow CDC isolation guidance by staying home for five days and isolating from other family members, if possible. If not, wear a well-fitting mask. Continue to wear a mask for an additional five days after your five days of isolation.

HRMC will distribute the test kits to patients visiting the HRMC Physicians Clinic, Tschetter and Hohm Clinic and the Women’s Wellness Center. To ensure equitable distribution, the number of kits will be limited to one per person in the household.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advises to take an at-home test:

• If you begin having COVID-19 symptoms like fever, sore throat, runny nose, loss of taste or smell.
• At least five days after you come into close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
• When you’re going to gather with a group of people, especially those who are at risk of severe disease or may not be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines.

As a reminder, those wishing to travel internationally and/or who must show proof of a PCR laboratory negative test, can still request a Vault Health® at-home test on the SD DOH website: https://learn.vaulthealth.com/southdakota/.

For more information on the free test kits and what to do if you receive a positive result, visit https://doh.sd.gov/COVID/Testing/FREETestKit.aspx