Swab Testing Results

If you have been tested for COVID-19, it is important that you understand what to do while you await your tests results, and what it means if your COVID-19 test is positive or negative.

For travellers participating in the International Border Testing Pilot Program, you will receive your test result by email or a text message. If you choose to receive your test result by email, the message will be encrypted for your privacy. Learn more about viewing encrypted test results.

Rapid Point-of-Care Testing

AHS and Alberta Precision Laboratories (APL) have initiated a clinical pilot for use of rapid COVID-19 Point-of-Care Tests (POCT), providing Albertans with faster, more convenient testing for the disease. Two types of POCT for COVID-19 have been rolled out at select sites throughout the province. The tests will be used for patients who are within the first seven days of exhibiting symptoms, enabling APL to quickly identify positive cases. APL is also working on expanding the use of POCT in other locations where they can be of the greatest value for public health authorities to manage COVID-19.

If you are eligible and consent to receive a rapid POCT COVID-19 test, two swabs will be collected at the time of your appointment, as all negative results will require additional confirmation by the lab during the clinical pilot phase.

The notification process for test results is:

If your test is positive, you will receive your result by text message or call within 1 to 3 hours directing you to isolate (if you are not already legally required to do so).

If your POCT test was negative, it is insufficient to rule out COVID-19 and requires further analysis in the lab for confirmation. You will receive a text message or call within 5 to 6 hours directing you to continue to isolate until you receive a follow-up text message or call with the confirmed test result, typically within 48 hours.

If You Are Over the Age of 18 Years & Not in High School, You Are Legally Required To Self-Isolate If:

• you test positive for COVID-19.
• you have a cough, fever, shortness of breath, runny nose, or sore throat that is not related to a pre-existing illness or health condition.
• you have been in contact in the last 14 days with someone known to have COVID-19.
• you have travelled outside Canada within the last 14 days.
• see isolation and quaratine guidelines.

Albertans who have symptoms of COVID-19 need to review mandatory isolation requirements and to complete a self-assessment and book an appointment for COVID-19 testing.

If You Are Under the Age of 18 years, or 18 Years of Age & Over Attending High School:

UPDATE: Symptoms of runny nose and sore throat have been removed from the mandatory isolation checklist for Albertans under 18, whether they are attending classes, day care or recreational activities as well as individuals 18 years and over attending high school.

• For a child with no known exposures to COVID-19 or international travel in the past 14 days:
  • If the child has any of the following symptoms: fever, cough, shortness of breath or loss of sense of smell or taste:
    • The child is to isolate for 10 days from onset of symptoms.
    • Testing is recommended.
  • If the child has a negative test result and they are feeling better, they can resume normal activities, even if the 10 days is not completed.
• If the child has ONE of: chills; sore throat or painful swallowing; runny nose or congestion; feeling unwell or fatigue; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea; unexplained loss of appetite; muscle or joint aches; headache; conjunctivitis:
  • The child should stay home and monitor for 24 hours.
  • If their symptom is improving after 24 hours, they can return to school/activities when they feel well enough to go. Testing is not necessary.
  • If the symptom worsens after 24 hours (or if additional symptoms emerge), testing is recommended but not required. The child can return to activities and school when:
    • their symptoms have resolved AND it’s been at least 24 hours since their symptoms started.
• If the child has any TWO of: chills; sore throat or painful swallowing; runny nose or congestion; feeling unwell or fatigue; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea; unexplained loss of appetite; muscle or joint aches; headache; conjunctivitis:
  • The child should stay home.
  • Testing is recommended but not required.
    • The child can attend school/daycare and other public places when their symptoms have resolved AND it’s been 24 hours or more since their symptoms started.
• The child with any symptoms should not visit a congregate living or acute care facility for 10 days from when symptom(s) started or until they go away (whichever is longer), unless they receive a negative COVID-19 test result and are feeling better.

You Do Not Have To Isolate If:

• you have not been exposed to someone known to have COVID-19 and you have not travelled outside of Canada within the last 14 days and.:
  • you are waiting for results and you did not have symptoms when you were tested and do not have any now
  • you have symptoms of illness that are related to a pre-existing illness or health condition, and are not new.
  • you have tested negative for COVID-19 and have no symptoms of illness
  • you have tested negative for COVID-19 and have a cough, fever, shortness of breath, runny nose, or sore throat that is related to a pre-existing illness or health condition. We do always suggest you stay home when sick with any illness, until symptoms resolve; however, if your COVID test is negative, this is not legally required.

If You Have a Positive Swab Test Result

Follow these steps immediately to help protect yourself and others around you.

Healthcare Workers

Healthcare workers do not have any additional requirements and may return to work at the end of their isolation period. AHS, Covenant Health and Alberta Precision Lab employees can refer to COVID-19 Return to Work Guide for AHS Healthcare Workers for further instruction.

If You Have a Negative Swab Test Result

• If you do not have symptoms of illness, AND have not been in contact with a known case of COVID-19 OR have not returned from travel outside of Canada within the last 14 days, you do not need to isolate. Continue to follow good respiratory etiquette and good hand hygiene, and practice physical distancing.
• If your test is negative but you have been in contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19 or you have returned from travel outside of Canada you must still quarantine for the full 14 days from your last contact with the person who is positive or from your return to Canada.
• Remember: your test result is for that point in time only. It doesn’t tell you if you have had COVID-19 before, and it doesn’t predict if you will get it in the future. You’ll need to continue to follow all public health measures, such as physical distancing and hand hygiene, even if your test is negative. If you have developed new symptoms since your test, or if you develop new symptoms in the future, please isolate and take the COVID-19 self-assessment online again, or call Health Link at 811 for additional advice.
• AHS, Covenant Health and Alberta Precision Labs employees can refer to COVID-19 Return to Work Guide for AHS Healthcare Workers for further instructions.
• It’s always best to stay home when you’re sick until your symptoms go away so you don’t get other people sick.

Indeterminate or Invalid Result

If you receive an indeterminate or invalid result, we are sorry, but we are unable to accurately determine your test results from the sample provided. You need to get tested again. You must follow any isolation or quarantine directions you were given. To schedule a re-test, visit ahs.ca/testing.

How to Find Out Your COVID-19 Test Results

Access your Children’s Test Results on MyHealth Records - As of October 1, 2020

Parents can now access their children’s COVID-19 test results in addition to their own results by signing up for your MyHealth Records account, at alberta.ca/myhealthrecords.

1. Parents: you will need to provide your child’s personal health number and test date to access your child’s COVID-19 test results (within the last 30 days).
2. Children’s test results will also be accessible as a printable PDF.

This new feature allows parents and guardians to securely receive their child’s COVID-19 test results and print off the results for those who need them.

MyHealth Records

Any Albertan over the age of 14 who signs-up MyHealth Records is also be able to see their own immunization records, pharmacy history, and other lab results.

For rapid results, Albertans 14 years old or older can also access test results efficiently, online, through MyHealth Records, a secure Alberta government service that helps keep track of your health information. You will need to sign up for a MyAlberta Digital ID to use this service.

International Border Testing Pilot Program

For travellers participating in the International Border Testing Pilot Program, you will receive your test result by email or a text message. If you choose to receive your test result by email, the message will be encrypted for your privacy. Learn more about viewing encrypted test results.

Autodialer & SMS

All Albertans being tested for COVID-19 have the option to receive positive and negative COVID-19 test results over the phone through an autodialer system or via SMS text messaging.

Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 will also be contacted by phone by a member of the AHS Public Health team for follow-up and support.

Individuals who sign up for COVID-19 testing on or after September 10th will be provided with the opportunity at time of booking to consent to receive automated positive and negative test results. If you do not consent to receiving results through the autodialer or SMS text, someone from AHS will call you directly to make sure you get your test results.

Albertans who opt-in to receive an SMS text message, are advised that they may receive your test result anytime within a 24 hour period, day or night seven days a week. Automated phone calls will be delivered between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., seven days a week and SMS text results will be delivered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Parents and guardians will also be able to consent to receive automated test results for dependents (aged 17 years and younger). Each individual test result will be delivered by a dedicated call or text. This may mean that multiple calls or texts are delivered to a single number provided for a family unit.

The autodialer will make up to three attempts to deliver the test result via a phone call. A voice message that details the test results, positive or negative, will be left on the 3rd and final attempt if the call is still not answered.

Please note: to get your test results by autodialer you will need to remove any anonymous call-blocking settings from your phone so that the autodialer call comes through. Please also make sure you answer any anonymous calls and read anonymous texts from numbers that you do not recognize.

Currently, Albertans should allow seven to 10 days from the time you are swabbed for COVID-19, to have access to your results.

• Frequently Asked Questions

Blood Test for COVID-19 (serology test)

As of July 2, 2020, serology testing for COVID-19 is available primarily for assessing the number of people in Alberta that have of antibodies to COVID-19 and for research use. It will not be available for the general public.

Serology testing is done to determine whether you have had COVID-19 in the past, and now have antibodies against the virus.

• Serology testing can only be completed if it is requested by your doctor.
• It requires a blood test to determine whether you have developed antibodies against the COVID-19 virus.
• Our immune system produces antibodies, proteins that are critical for fighting and clearing out the infections. It takes about 1 to 3 weeks after infection for your body to make antibodies.
• Antibodies are disease specific; so if COVID-19 antibodies are detected in your blood, we know that you have been infected with COVID-19 at some point in the past.
• In specific situations the serological test may be used to assist with treatment decisions. This would only be done if requested by a physician.
• Serology testing will not be used for diagnosing a current COVID-19 infection.

A positive serology does NOT mean a patient is immune to COVID-19. At this time, there is a lack of evidence on whether having antibodies to COVID-19 means you are protected against reinfection with COVID-19 and if so, how long that protection would last. Ongoing studies will help reveal more information to answer these questions.

If You Have a Positive Blood Test Result

• If you have a positive antibody test result this means you have developed antibodies to a past infection with the virus that causes COVID-19.
• There is a chance that a positive test result means you have antibodies from an infection with a virus from the same family of viruses (called coronaviruses), such as the one that causes the common cold.
• We do not know how much protection the antibodies may provide or how long this protection may last.
• It does not mean you are immune to reinfection with COVID-19.
• You should continue to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 since you could get infected with the virus again. This means to continue to practice physical distancing, good hand hygiene, and avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Talk to your health care provider about your test results.

If You Have a Negative Blood Test Result

• If you have a negative antibody test result this means you do not have antibodies to COVID-19 from a past infection.
• Some people may take longer to develop antibodies and some people may not ever develop antibodies.
• Talk to your health care provider about your test results.
• You should continue to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 since you could get infected with the virus. This means to continue to practice physical distancing, good hand hygiene, and avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• It is possible to have a negative serology test and a positive PCR test if you are currently infected with COVID-19. In this situation, you must follow the guidance as above for people with a positive PCR result.

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