How to get your FREE rapid Covid-19 test
Rapid lateral flow tests help to find Covid-19 cases in people who may have no symptoms but are still infectious and can give the virus to others. About one in three people with coronavirus do not have symptoms but can still infect others. Taking this simple test will reveal whether you have coronavirus within 30 minutes. Getting tested regularly is the only way to know if you have the virus. If people test positive and self-isolate, it helps stop the virus spreading.
How to get a rapid lateral flow test
If you are aged over 18, you can now get free rapid lateral flow test kits from specific places in Birmingham, or you can order online here and get it delivered straight to your home. Alternatively, if you cannot order online, just call 119 for free from 7am to 11pm.
Free rapid lateral flow kits can be picked up at pharmacies, just input your postcode here to find your local chemist. To find your nearest collection point, enter your town or postcode, here, scroll up to the top and click list view. No appointment is needed and you can check online if the location is busy before you go. When you collect your test kit, you can collect two packs at a time (14 tests in total).
After your get your test kit
You should take a rapid lateral flow test twice a week (every 3 or 4 days) and report rapid lateral flow test results the day you or someone in your household takes the test. Children who go to primary school or younger children do not need to test.
How do you take the test?
The test usually involves rubbing a long cotton bud (swab) over your tonsils (or where they would have been) and inside your nose to take a sample to test. Here is a link to access a guide, a guide in large print as well as an easy read guide.
If a test result is positive
If you or anyone in your household tests positive, everyone in the household must self-isolate immediately and get a PCR test to confirm the result (a PCR test is a different type of coronavirus test).
