Spots still available for COVID-19 tests at Ozark Christian College, Carthage Memorial Hall

(From the City of Joplin)

There are still spots available in two community COVID-19 testing sites offered in the Joplin area early next week. The community testing events are for Missouri residents and offered through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and their partners including the Missouri National Guard, local health departments, and health care providers in the Joplin area.

Testing will be done from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 19 and from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, July 20. Locations include Ozark Christian College in Joplin, and the Carthage Memorial Hall in Carthage. It is free for Missouri residents.

Individuals must register at www.health.mo.gov/communitytest. Those who need assistance registering may contact our Missouri COVID-19 Hotline (toll-free) at 877-435-8411. This hotline number has access to language services when needed.

Organizers have posted the following on their website:

The test is a PCR test done by a nasopharyngeal swab to determine if there is an active infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This is not an antigen or antibody test.

While COVID-19 is spread from person to person, more than 80% of the patients who develop it will only become mildly ill. The concern is for patients with underlying medical conditions and the elderly, who are more likely to need hospital-level supportive care.

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

Fever or chills

Cough

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Fatigue

Muscle or body aches

Headache

New loss of taste or smell

Sore throat

Congestion or runny nose

Nausea or vomiting

Diarrhea

This list, taken from the Centers for Disease Control website, does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as they learn more about COVID-19.

Information about the City’s response and recovery related to COVID-19, as well as related announcements, can be found at www.joplinmo.org/coronavirus. For more details about coronavirus, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website at https://www.cdc.gov/ .