Family Medical Group offers free, home-use coronavirus testing kits

Franklin County Memorial Hospital and its Family Medical Group clinics in Meadville and Bude are making available — at no cost — coronavirus test kits for home use.

Rhonda Terrell, who serves as FMG clinics manager, said the tests are being distributed two boxes per local household with each box containing two test kits.

“We encourage people who want to have these test kits in their possession — available on a first come-first served basis while supplies last — to call us at 601-384-3199 in Meadville or 601-384-2494 in Bude,” Terrell said.

“Coronavirus has not left us and there have been a number of infections reported locally as new strains of the virus work their way through the community.”

She noted the self-tests can give rapid results and can be taken anywhere, regardless of vaccination status or whether or not an individual has COVID-19 symptoms.

“These test kits are an important part of the effort to protect yourself and others, and we hope local residents will take advantage of this opportunity to add them to their home medical supplies and use them as needed,” Terrell continued.

The Centers for Disease Control reports self testing kits do not detect antibodies which would suggest a previous infection and they do not measure an individual’s level of immunity.
For anyone with a positive home test kit result for coronavirus, those individuals are asked to report it to the Mississippi Department of Health online at HealthyMS.com/positive.

Officials said reporting positive test results helps the health agency monitor COVID-19 activity in counties across the Magnolia State.

Terrell also encourages residents to watch for and take advantage of future COVID-19 vaccination drives that are sponsored locally by FCMH and the FMG clinics.

First vaccinations are available for everyone from ages 5 and up with first boosters given to participants ages 12 and up and second boosters are administered to those ages 50 and up.