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How Long Does It Take to Get My Test Results?

Send-out lab test results typically take 24 to 72 hours to return from our lab partner. Please note that the return of results is an estimate and is subject to lab capacity and patient demand for testing.

Rapid PCR and on-site antigen tests provide results within 24 hours and normally are reserved for our symptomatic, high-risk patients.

The fastest way to get your test results is through your free MyNortonChart account.

Where Can I Receive Proof of My Results?

If you need proof of a negative COVID-19 test result, your results will be available electronically and securely through your MyNortonChart account. If you visited Norton Healthcare Express Services for a travel test, a letter also will be available in your MyNortonChart account. Letters are not available to print for pickup.

How Will I Receive My Test Results?

If your nasal swab test is positive, we will call you.

Your results also will be available in MyNortonChart. If you do not have a free MyNortonChart account, visit NortonHealthcare.com/MyNortonChart to sign up.

When accessing your test results through MyNortonChart, be sure to refer to the “COVID-19 Results” section, not the “Standard Range,” as shown below.

Norton Healthcare will not email test results to your email address.

What If My Test Is Positive?

A positive test result means the coronavirus/COVID-19 virus was found in your sample and may be causing your symptoms. If your test result is positive (detected) for COVID-19, a Norton Healthcare staff member will attempt to call you to discuss quarantining. You also will receive a MyNortonChart message or a letter in the mail with this information. The result is in the second column. Detected means positive.

To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines:

• Stay home (except to get medical care) and follow CDC guidelines for quarantine. Regardless of vaccination status, stay home for at least five days and isolate from others in your home. End this quarantine period after five full days if you are fever-free for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medication and your symptoms are improving. If you did NOT have symptoms, end isolation after at least five full days after your positive test.

Because most people with COVID-19 are contagious, wear a well-fitted face mask for 10 full days any time you are around others inside your home or in public. Do not go places where you are unable to wear a mask. Wash your hands often; cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze.

• Do not go to work, school or public areas.
• Avoid travel, using public transportation, ride-sharing services or taxis. Stay clear from those who are at high risk for developing severe COVID-19.
• Clean frequently touched surfaces with a regular household cleaner and make sure you are getting enough rest, fluids and healthy foods.
• Monitor your symptoms and seek medical attention if you get worse, have difficulty breathing or experience a consistently high fever. A high fever in adults is 103 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
• Talk with your medical provider or pharmacist about over-the-counter medications that may help relieve symptoms.

Seek prompt medical attention if you develop worsening symptoms (such as difficulty breathing). Before seeking care, call your health care provider and tell them that you have, or are being evaluated for, COVID-19. If you have a medical emergency and need to call 911, notify the dispatch person that you have, or are being evaluated for, COVID-19.

What If My Test Is Negative?

A negative test result means that COVID-19 was not found in your sample at this time. However, symptoms may appear two to 14 days after exposure to the virus, so you should continue to monitor your health. If you start to experience symptoms of COVID-19, stay at home (except to get medical care) and minimize contact with other people, according to CDC guidelines. Do not go to work, school or public areas. Avoid using public transportation, ride-sharing services or taxis. Wear a face mask when in public; the mask should cover your nose and mouth.

If your test result is negative (not detected), you will receive a MyNortonChart message or a letter in the mail from Norton Healthcare. A letter can take 10 days to arrive. The result is in the second column. Not detected means negative. A negative result means that COVID-19 was not found in your sample. No test is 100% accurate. If you are having symptoms or start to experience symptoms, follow quarantine guidelines (see below).

What Do I Do After Quarantine?

Do not get retested. People who have tested positive for COVID-19 should NOT get tested again for up to three months as long as they do not develop symptoms again. PCR tests can detect remnant viral particles for up to 90 days. This does not mean you’re contagious. It is a limitation of the PCR test technology. This includes patients going to the hospital for procedures. If a negative test is needed to return to work or school, ask your provider for a point-of-care antigen test.

• Follow up with a medical provider if two weeks have passed and you still feel unwell. Common medical conditions after COVID-19 include bacterial, viral and fungal infections, mild to severe inflammation, and situational depression.

How Do I Find My Flu Result?

Norton Healthcare also tests for influenza (flu) A and B. A detected (positive) result will be highlighted in orange with red lettering. The flu is treated primarily with rest and fluids to let the body fight the infection on its own. If symptoms worsen, seek medical attention. An annual vaccine can help prevent the flu or limit its severity.

I’m Fully Vaccinated but Was Exposed to COVID-19. Do I Need to Quarantine?

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines state that a fully vaccinated person who has had a booster, with an exposure but no symptoms, does not need to quarantine but should wear a mask when inside and around other people for 10 days. If you have not had a booster and your vaccine series was more than five months ago, you must quarantine for five days and wear a mask for five additional days.

One Person in My Family Tested Positive for COVID-19, but the Rest Don’t Have Any Symptoms and Don’t Want to Get Tested. When Can the Rest of the Family End Their Quarantine?

Family members NOT up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations should quarantine for a full 14 days from the last date of exposure to the positive family member. This is because a person can develop symptoms 2 to 14 days after a high-risk exposure. Fully vaccinated family members who have had a booster do not need to quarantine but should wear a mask when inside and around other people for 10 days.

What Is Considered Close Contact With Someone Who Has COVID-19?

• Within 6 feet of someone with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes within a 24-hour period
• Providing care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19
• Direct physical contact (hugging or kissing) with a person who has COVID-19
• Sharing eating or drinking utensils with a person who has COVID-19
• Coming in contact with respiratory droplets from a sneeze or cough from someone with COVID-19

How Do I Care For My Child Who Has Tested Positive For COVID-19?

Babies under 12 months old

• Babies under age 1 might be at higher risk for severe illness with COVID-19 than older children. This likely is due to their immature immune systems and smaller airways, which make them more likely to develop breathing issues with respiratory virus infections. If your baby has been exposed to or tests positive for COVID-19, contact the baby’s pediatrician. If symptoms worsen, seek emergency medical care.

Children over 12 months old

• Most children have mild symptoms or no symptoms. Common symptoms include fever; cough that becomes productive; new loss of taste or smell; changes in the skin, such as discolored areas on the feet and hands; sore throat; gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, belly pain or diarrhea; chills.
• Children with other health conditions, such as obesity, diabetes and asthma, might be at higher risk of serious illness with COVID-19. Children who have congenital heart disease, genetic conditions or conditions affecting the nervous system or metabolism also might be at higher risk of serious illness with COVID-19.

Monitoring your child’s symptoms

• Difficulty breathing: Signs a child is having trouble include increased heart rate, skin color changes, grunting, nose flaring, chest retractions, sweating and wheezing.
• Dehydration: Dehydration occurs when a child loses so much body fluid that they are not able to maintain ordinary body functions. Warning signs can include dry skin, tongue and lips; rapid breathing; fewer wet diapers; and tearless crying. Pedialyte or similar products will help replace fluids and minerals. Offer lots of fluids: milk, formula, juice, water, frozen pop (Popsicle), Pedialyte, flavored gelatin (Jell-O), etc.
  • Make sure the child is having at least three wet diapers a day.
• High-grade fever:4 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 2 days.
• Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C): Signs and symptoms include fever and two or more of the following: stomach pain, bloodshot eyes, diarrhea, skin rash, dizziness, vomiting. Seek emergency medical care immediately for trouble breathing; pain or pressure in the chest that does not go away; confusion or unusual behavior; severe abdominal pain; inability to wake or stay awake; pale, gray or blue-colored skin, lips or nail beds, depending on skin tone.

Over-the-counter medicines

• Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines should not be given to babies and small children without talking with your child’s health care provider first.
• The Food and Drug Administration and American Academy of Pediatrics advise against giving over-the-counter medicines to children under age 2 because of possible life-threatening side effects.
• Always talk with your child’s health care provider or pharmacist before giving your child any over-the-counter medicine, especially for the first time.

What If I Need Additional Care or Still Don’t Feel Well?

Follow up with your health care provider if you have additional questions or concerns or if you still do not feel well after two weeks from symptoms onset. You do not need to continue to isolate. If you need help finding a primary care provider, call us at (502) 629-1234, option 3. For your safety and convenience, we also offer telehealth services and virtual urgent care visits available 24/7 through Norton eCare. More information is available through your MyNortonChart account or at NortonHealthcare.com/Telehealth.

If you have an emergency, call 911. Because the COVID-19 pandemic is changing rapidly, the information above may change. For guidance about returning to work or school, visit CDC.gov, contact your local health department or call the Kentucky COVID-19 Hotline at (800) 722-5725.

What If I Have Further Questions?

Call (502) 861-4611, option 1, for more information. If it has been 48 hours after your test, you may select option 2 if you have questions about your test results.