Symptoms, Testing, and Testing Sites
Symptoms
Current symptoms reported for patients with COVID-19 have included mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Other reported symptoms include chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headaches, sore throat, or a new loss of taste or smell. Read about COVID-19 Symptoms.
Testing
If you develop symptoms such as fever, cough, and/or difficulty breathing, and have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19 or have recently traveled from an area with ongoing spread of COVID-19, stay home and call your healthcare provider. Older patients and individuals who have severe underlying medical conditions or are immunocompromised should contact their healthcare provider early, even if their illness is mild. If you have severe symptoms, such as persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse, or bluish lips of face, contact your healthcare provider or emergency room and seek care immediately. Your doctor will determine if you have signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and whether you should be tested.
Testing Sites
Below is just a sample of free testing sites. For the full list, visit https://www.mass.gov/info-details/stop-the-spread
Urgent Care - Methuen
380 Merrimack St., Methuen, MA 01844
Book an appointment online for a COVID-19 at https://www.clockwisemd.com/hospitals/800/visits/new
Daily curbside testing. You must call the clinic at (978) 975-0700 before you arrive, as staff and supplies are limited. The clinic’s hours are 8AM-8PM Monday-Friday and 8AM-5PM Saturday-Sunday.
Weekly drive-through testing. Drive-through dates will be posted on the clinic’s website and Facebook page. You must call (781) 430-8161 prior to the drive-through date to be prescreened by the clinic – a referral from your primary care physician is not sufficient.
Holy Family Hospital - Haverhill
Daily drive-through testing (weekdays). You must call your primary care physician, and if they believe you need to be tested, they will provide you with a lab order. Bring that order to Holy Family’s mobile screening center in Haverhill (set up outside the hospital) from 9AM-3PM Monday through Friday.
Lawrence General Hospital
Daily drive-through testing (weekdays). An appointment and a physician order are required. Call the hospital’s COVID-19 Community Screening Line at (978) 946-8409 to be screened and receive an appointment time. Testing is available from 11AM-4PM Monday through Friday across from the hospital's Emergency Center on Prospect Street.
Lowell Community Health Center - Lowell
Daily drive-through testing: Call 978-937-9700 to pre-register. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged but not required.