KPHC is no longer providing walk-in on-site Covid-19 testing. If you need testing we recommend utilizing your home test kits. If you need PCR testing check www.hawaiicovid19.com for available test sites. If you do not have home test kits, call our Covid nurse line at 808-381-7009 for test kits or check online at COVID.gov/tests – Free at-home COVID-19 tests to see if free test kits are available or for other test sites.
KPHC is not doing pre-travel testing. Pre-travel testing can be done through Clinical Labs of Hawaii (CLH) at Sonic Scheduling (sonichealth.us)
There are two available testing options:
- NAAT/PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)
- Rapid antigen/home test kit
PCR is at type of NAAT test and more sensitive and less likely to have false negatives or false positives compared to rapid antigen testing. PCR testing cannot be done at home and results are usually available the next day. PCR testing is usually covered by insurance if you are being tested for symptoms or due to a close contact to someone with Covid-19 such as a family member, friend or co-worker. PCR is so sensitive that if you had a covid-19 infection, your PCR test may be positive for up to 3 months after, so if you had a confirmed Covid-19 infection within the last 3 months and are having new symptoms or had close contact, PCR testing may not be recommended, rapid antigen testing may be more useful to determine if you are currently infected or contagious.
Rapid antigen testing/home test kits are not quite as accurate as PCR. Rapid antigen testing has a slightly higher rate or false positives and false negatives but is still very useful. Most home test kits are rapid antigen tests. Results are usually available within 15 minutes. They can be a little tricky to use and not all test kits are the same, so be sure to review your kits instructions before testing.