EKU nursing students hand out free COVID-19 tests

MADISON COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - Madison County health officials handed out free COVID-19 tests at the health department office in Berea Thursday.

Each person who came in was able to get one kit per household and each kit contains two tests.

Sharonda Rose is part of EKU’s School of Nursing Clinical Faculty. She and her students took care of handing out the test kits.

“We’ve seen everyone from college students to the general population to the elderly population,” Rose said.

Last week, the health department and EKU teamed up for this same kind of clinic in Richmond.

“Last week was a little crazy. I think we were out of kits by about 45 minutes in. So, today, we still have some more kits. So, hopefully, we have people come out and take advantage,” Rose.

The test kits are not all that officials are offered. People also had the option of getting a vaccine shot: first, second or third. A take-home dose of Narcan was available too, which might help you save the life of someone overdosing.

“You just never know when you’re going to be walking outside of a store or in a park or in your neighborhood and you find someone who is overdosing,” said risk reduction specialist Laura Nagle. “It’s a very simple medication to use. It’s a nasal spray. I’m not a nurse, anyone can be trained very quickly in how to use it save someone’s life.”

Officials say clinics like this can serve as a reminder that everyone needs to take a holistic approach to stay healthy.

A blood pressure screening was also offered.

“A lot of people, since COVID, they’ve not been taking care of themselves like they should. They’ve not been to their primary care providers like they should,” Rose said. “We have already this morning identified a few patients that have had abnormal readings that were high and we’ve referred them onto a primary care provider to be seen.”

You can also order at-home COVID-19 tests, anytime, by going to covidtests.gov or calling the COVID-19 test hotline at 1-800-232-0233.

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