Free covid, flu, and rsv testing at the Macon County Health Department

The COVID-19 pandemic created great havoc with everyone’s lives in 2020 – 2021. In early 2022, after the introduction of vaccines, the pandemic in Missouri was downgraded to an endemic. Being endemic by definition means that COVID-19 is here to stay. We should treat it as any other virus such as the flu where you take precautions when feeling symptoms in order to not spread the disease to family, friends, and coworkers, and, to take the time to get well. Since COVID-19 is still listed as a reportable disease in Missouri state statute, Macon County Health Department still tracks laboratory confirmed cases and calls individuals to ensure that they are all right or if they need help or referrals. At this time our case count in Macon County is low but it is increasing and we have been receiving a number of calls from residents testing positive with home tests which indicates that COVID-19 is present in our communities.

We encourage everyone to take precautions going into the fall season. Aside from flu and COVID-19, RSV, another respiratory virus, can cause some people significant health problems. Symptoms for all three are similar: cold and allergy-like symptoms, headache, cough, fever, body aches. We recommend that should you feel symptomatic that you take precautions, stay home from work and school and away from others, and get tested. When seeing your provider or other health agency for testing, call ahead and consider wearing a mask while out in public until you get results. Macon County Health Department, through a grant from the Department of Health and Senior Services, provides COVID-19, flu, and RSV testing for free. As a precaution to others, please do not come inside our building – call ahead for an appointment and we will test you in your vehicle and then call you with your results.

If you have questions, call Macon County Health Department and speak to one of our nurses at 660-395-4711, or, call for an appointment to get tested.