As testing ramps back up, Wake County offers free at-home COVID-19 testing kits

Officials said the at-home kits are just as reliable as an on-site test and the demand for them is increasing.

It’s not a new service but it’s one some were not aware of.

“I didn’t know it was a thing. No, I thought it was strictly regulated through different places. I didn’t know you could do it at home,” Nicholas Morning said.

Wake County offers free PCR testing kits, which are the most reliable. You can order your kit online, which will then be shipped over night and you can mail it back by using a prepaid shipping envelope. Results are available between one or two days.

Wake County spokeswoman Stacy Beard said it can be intimidating, but it’s easier than people think.

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“For months and months, we have been allowing folks to get these test at our drive-through sites and self administer them with great success and trusted results, so this is just another version of that,” Beard said.

Beard says there were some concerns at the beginning of the pandemic with the accuracy. She says as long as it’s done correctly, results are reliable.

“You shouldn’t touch the Q-tip to anything else and you shouldn’t try to put anything else in that vial," said Beard. "Obviously, there’s a chance for contamination, that exist at our sites as well and staff are trained not to do that."

The kits offered through Wake County are provided by Labcorp.

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Beard said the test can also be ordered and used at a later date. The expiration is usually about a year out.

It's something that Morning said is much more convenient. S

“I feel like that would be pretty good because I’ve needed a test a few times but I’ve had to wait in line.” Morning said.