PORTLAND — MaineHealth is reminding community members who test positive for COVID-19 with at-home tests that they should isolate at home and notify their primary care provider. MaineHealth emergency departments, urgent care and walk-in clinics do not perform confirmatory COVID-19 tests.

“At-home antigen tests are reliable if they're positive and you have symptoms,” said Dora Anne Mills, M.D., MaineHealth Chief Health Improvement Officer, in a Maine Health news release. “There is no need to have a confirmatory PCR test before you begin following CDC guidelines for isolation.”

Emergency Departments, Walk-in clinics and urgent care centers should be used for medically appropriate needs. The only time anyone who has tested positive should leave isolation is to seek necessary or emergency medical care. Community members who have tested positive at home should contact their primary care providers to determine if follow-up care is necessary. Anyone showing any of these signs should seek emergency medical care immediately:

-Trouble breathing
-Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
-New confusion
-Inability to wake or stay awake
-Bluish lips or face
 

Community members who need a COVID-19 test should visit https://www.maine.gov/covid19/testing to see a list of COVID testing centers.

The CDC also has published helpful guidance on how to treat mild COVID illness at home.

About MaineHealth:

MaineHealth is a not-for-profit integrated health system whose vision is, “Working together so our communities are the healthiest in America.” It consists of nine local hospital systems, a comprehensive behavioral healthcare network, diagnostic services, home health agencies, and more than 1,500 employed and independent physicians working together through the MaineHealth Medical Group. With approximately 22,000 employees, MaineHealth provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. It includes Franklin Memorial Hospital/Franklin Community Health Network in Farmington, LincolnHealth in Damariscotta and Boothbay Harbor, Maine Behavioral Healthcare in South Portland, MaineHealth Care at Home in Saco, Maine Medical Center in Portland, Memorial Hospital in North Conway, N.H., Mid Coast-Parkview Health in Brunswick, NorDx in Scarborough, Pen Bay Medical Center and Waldo County General Hospital in Rockport and Belfast, Southern Maine Health Care in Biddeford and Sanford, Spring Harbor Hospital in Westbrook and Stephens Memorial Hospital/Western Maine Health Care in Norway. MaineHealth Affiliates include Maine General Health in Augusta and Waterville, New England Rehabilitation Hospital in Portland and St. Mary's Regional Medical Center in Lewiston. It is also a significant stakeholder in the MaineHealth Accountable Care Organization in Portland.