Johnson County wants you to report your at home COVID test results to gauge the spread

Joseph Hernandez
·2 min read

The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment is asking Johnson County residents to voluntarily report at-home COVID-19 test results. Whether it’s positive or negative, the results will aim to give JCDHE a better understanding of the spread of COVID-19 in Johnson County.

As of Jan. 17, the COVID-19 positivity rate in Johnson County was nearly 30%, which local health officials categorize as high community risk. It’s hard to get a full sense of the spread and positivity rate when the reported data only includes results from test sites, and not the results from at home tests people take on their own.

The county’s health department website states that the county won’t contract trace any of the test results and that information submitted by residents will be stored in a database that is HIPPA-protected.

This comes after the state of Kansas decided to stop statewide contact tracing efforts.

The recent omicron-induced surge of COVID-19 cases is impacting the whole Kansas City metro and is straining local hospitals.

HOW DO I REPORT MY RESULTS?

You can report your results here. The survey asks for the following information:

  • When you took the at-home COVID-19 test

  • The result of the test

  • Where you bought the test

  • Your demographic information

It’ll also ask you to upload a photo of your at-home test, but that’s voluntary.

WHAT IF I TEST POSITIVE?

You should quarantine and tell the people who you may have exposed. We put together a guide for what you should do if your test results are positive, and some tips for how to care for yourself at home if you feel sick with COVID but don’t need to go to the hospital.

Anything else?

Make sure you take your test at the time to guarantee the most reliable results.

Here’s where you can find at home tests around Kansas City and how to order free tests from the government.

Do you have other questions about the latest wave of COVID-19 in Kansas City? Ask us at kcq@kcstar.com or with the form below.