COVID-19 Vaccines Are Here
Two-dose Moderna, Pfizer and one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine appointments are available through all Family Medical Care locations. All appointments must be scheduled by calling, 304-797-7733. The second dose vaccine appointment will be scheduled during your first appointment.
Kids: The Pfizer vaccine is offered at all Family Medical Care and School-Based Health Center locations. Appointment is required. The Pfizer vaccine is a two-dose vaccine, which will be given 21 days apart. The vaccines are available to patients ages 5 and up.
Registration Steps:
- Call 304-797-7733.
- Select your preferred appointment location.
- Speak to a representative to schedule your appointment.
Change, Inc. Family Medical Care COVID-19 Tests
Rapid Swab Test
The rapid test is performed with a swab of your nasal passages to determine if you currently have an active COVID-19 infection. Tests are run at our in-clinic lab and results are same day.
Rapid Test are available at the following locations:
- Wintersville FMC
- All School-Based Health Centers
PCR Swab Test(required for most travel)
The PCR test is performed with a deep swab of your nasal passages to determine if you currently have an active COVID-19 infection. Tests are sent to a local lab and results are typically next day. (Results times may vary based on lab volume.)
Drive-Up Testing with an Appointment
Drive-up testing with an appointment is offered at our Newell, Weirton and Wintersville locations. You can pull up, wait in your car, call the number on the sign and staff will come out to register you and to perform the test. Even if you are not symptomatic we recommend that you wear a mask.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported—ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
What’s the difference between the swab test and antibody blood test?
Rapid Swab Test: The rapid test performed with a swab of your nasal passages to determine if you currently have an active COVID-19 infection. Results are same day.
PCR Swab Test: The PCR test is performed with a deep swab of your nasal passages to determine if you currently have an active COVID-19 infection. Tests are sent to a lab and results are typically next day.
Rapid Antibody Blood Test: The COVID-19 rapid test qualitatively detects and differentiates IgM and IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in blood. (Positive results indicate a current, recent or prior infection. There can be false positives and false negatives).
I’ve been exposed to COVID-19. What should I do now? Should I get tested?
According to the latest CDC guidelines, if you are vaccinated and boosted, or have gotten your initial vaccine series within the last six months (for Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna) or the last two months (for Johnson & Johnson), you should wear a mask around others for 5 days and take a COVID test on day 5, if possible. If you develop symptoms, get tested sooner and isolate at home.
If you are unvaccinated, had your last Pfizer or Moderna shot more than six months ago and have not been boosted, or had your Johnson & Johnson show more than two months ago and have not been boosted, you should stay home for five days and wear a mask around others for an additional five days. If you can’t quarantine, wear a mask around others for 10 days. Get tested for COVID on day 5, if possible. If you develop symptoms at any time, get tested and isolate at home.
PCR Swab Test: The PCR test is performed with a deep swab of your nasal passages to determine if you currently have an active COVID-19 infection. Tests are sent to a lab and results are typically next day.
Rapid Antibody Blood Test: The COVID-19 rapid test qualitatively detects and differentiates IgM and IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in blood. (Positive results indicate a current, recent or prior infection. There can be false positives and false negatives).
Do you offer drive-up testing for COVID-19? What’s the process for being tested?
Yes. Drive-up testing with an appointment is offered at our Newell, Weirton and Wintersville locations. You can pull up, wait in your car, call the number on the sign and staff will come out to register you and to perform the test. Even if you are not symptomatic we recommend that you wear a mask.
Do I need a doctor’s referral to be tested for COVID-19?
No, anyone can be tested.
COVID-19 Testing: Insurance, Cost, and Billing
How much does COVID-19 testing cost?
At-Home Covid-19 Test Kits are available for FREE at all of our locations.
COVID-19 Results
How soon can I get my results?
When tested using a PCR Test, results are typically available the next day. Rapid test results will be available same day.
Will you send results to my employer?
No. We will only give your results to you or your legal guardian with your permission. However, you will be able to print your results to give to your employer.
What do my swab results mean for me?
If you test positive for COVID-19, follow the steps below to care for yourself and to help protect other people in your home and community:
Stay home. Most people with COVID-19 have mild illness and can recover at home without medical care. Do not leave your home, except to get medical care. Do not visit public areas.
Take care of yourself. Get rest and stay hydrated. Take over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen, to help you feel better.
Stay in touch with your doctor. Call before you get medical care. Be sure to get care if you have trouble breathing, or have any other emergency warning signs, or if you think it is an emergency.
Avoid public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxis.
As much as possible, stay in a specific room and away from other people and pets in your home. If possible, you should use a separate bathroom. If you need to be around other people or animals in or outside of the home, wear a mask.
Monitor your symptoms. Follow care instructions from your healthcare provider and local health department. Your local health authorities may give instructions on checking your symptoms and reporting information.
If you test negative for COVID-19, you probably were not infected at the time your sample was collected. However, that does not mean you will not get sick. The test result only means that you did not have COVID-19 at the time of testing. You might test negative if the sample was collected early in your infection and test positive later during your illness. You could also be exposed to COVID-19 after the test and get infected then. This means you could still spread the virus. If you develop symptoms later, you might need another test to determine if you are infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.
If I already tested positive, how soon can I be tested again?
These are the recommendations of the CDC:
I think or know I had COVID-19, and I had symptoms.
You can be around others after:
5 days since symptoms first appeared and 24 hours with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and
other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving* *Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation
Most people do not require testing to decide when they can be around others; however, if your healthcare provider recommends testing, they will let you know when you can resume being around others based on your test results.
Note that these recommendations do not apply to persons with severe COVID-19 or with severely weakened immune systems (immunocompromised). These persons should follow the guidance below for “I was severely ill with COVID-19 or have a severely weakened immune system (immunocompromised) due to a health condition or medication. When can I be around others?”
I tested positive for COVID-19 but had no symptoms.
If you continue to have no symptoms, you can be with others after 10 days have passed since you had a positive viral test for COVID-19. Most people do not require testing to decide when they can be around others; however, if your healthcare provider recommends testing, they will let you know when you can resume being around others based on your test results.
If you develop symptoms after testing positive, follow the guidance above for “I think or know I had COVID-19, and I had symptoms.”
Myths and Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines
MYTH: The ingredients in COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous.
FACT: Nearly all the ingredients in COVID-19 vaccines are also ingredients in many foods – fats, sugars, and salts.
MYTH: The natural immunity I get from being sick with COVID-19 is better than the immunity I get from COVID-19 vaccination.
FACT: Getting a COVID-19 vaccination is a safer and more dependable way to build immunity to COVID-19 than getting sick with COVID-19.
MYTH: COVID-19 vaccines cause variants.
FACT: COVID-19 vaccines do not create or cause variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. Instead, COVID-19 vaccines can help prevent new variants from emerging.
MYTH: All events reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) are caused by vaccination.
FACT: Anyone can report events to VAERS, even if it is not clear whether a vaccine caused the problem. Because of this, VAERS data alone cannot determine if the reported adverse event was caused by a COVID-19 vaccination.
MYTH: The mRNA vaccine is not considered a vaccine.
FACT: mRNA vaccines, such as Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, work differently than other types of vaccines, but they still trigger an immune response inside your body.
MYTH: COVID-19 vaccines contain microchips.
FACT: COVID-19 vaccines do not contain microchips. Vaccines are developed to fight against disease and are not administered to track your movement.
MYTH: Receiving a COVID-19 vaccine can make you magnetic.
FACT: Receiving a COVID-19 vaccine will not make you magnetic, including at the site of vaccination which is usually your arm.
MYTH: COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the United States shed or release their components.
FACT: Vaccine shedding is the release or discharge of any of the vaccine components in or outside of the body and can only occur when a vaccine contains a live weakened version of the virus.
MYTH: COVID-19 vaccines can alter my DNA.
FACT: COVID-19 vaccines do not change or interact with your DNA in any way.
MYTH: A COVID-19 vaccine can make me sick with COVID-19.
FACT: Because none of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines in the United States contain the live virus that causes COVID-19, the vaccine cannot make you sick with COVID-19.
For more facts about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines, visit the following sites:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html