Testing
The Nashua Division of Public Health and Community Services (DPHCS) is providing COVID-19 testing through weekly testing clinics. We have a limited number of tests available and will schedule testing using the following detailed criteria. If you have a health care provider, please contact them first to discuss testing. For a list of our upcoming testing clinics, please see below.
Testing is available BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, scheduled by calling the Nashua COVID-19 Hotline at 603-589-3456. We are prioritizing COVID-19 testing to individuals who meet the following detailed criteria AND are showing symptoms or have had exposure to someone with respiratory-like illness.
- Individuals who do not have primary care providers or their provider’s won’t test, or who don’t have health insurance.
- Any individual who may have had close contact with a large number of people in high risk settings.
- Essential workers who deliver, or directly support, home, community, or institutional care services.
- Individuals with underlying chronic health conditions which puts them at increased risk of complications from COVID-19.
Upcoming Testing Clinics
Please view our scheduled clinics below. If you would like to schedule an appointment for one of the following clinics, you must call the Nashua COVID-19 Hotline at 603-589-3456. At this time, all of our currently scheduled clinics will be held in Nashua.
| Date | Time |
|---|---|
| Every Thursday | 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. |
About COVID-19 Testing
Increasing our ability to test is a crucial component of our efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19. If we are able to identify more cases, Public Health Nurse’s are able to track contacts of positive cases and place individuals into isolation and quarantine, as well as provide education. When more people stay home and are away from others, even if asymptomatic, they can help decrease the spread of COVID-19 throughout our community.
Types of Testing
COVID-19 testing is critical to measure the spread of this disease within our community and assist our regional response efforts. There are two kinds of tests are available for COVID-19: viral tests and antibody tests. These two types of tests serve different purposes and have different limitations. Knowing the facts about these tests is essential to making decisions that are best for our public’s health.
- Viral Testing: A viral test tells you if you have a current infection using an oral or nasal swab or saliva test.
- Antibody Testing: An antibody test tells you if you had a previous infection using a blood test. The test provides evidence that someone may have been exposed to the virus in the past, potentially even if they did not have symptoms. Antibody tests can provide us with information about who might have immunity and how widely COVID-19 has already spread throughout our community. The State of NH is working to provide this testing at commercial laboratories. If you or someone you know is interested in receiving an antibody test, please call your healthcare provider.
Results
Whether you test positive or negative for COVID-19, no matter the type of test, please continue to take preventive measures to protect yourself and others.
- If you test positive for COVID-19 by a viral test, know what protective steps to take if you are sick or caring for someone.
- If you test negative for COVID-19 by a viral test, you probably were not infected at the time your sample was collected. However, that does not mean you can not get sick. The test result only means that you did not have COVID-19 at the time of testing.
Nashua Testing Data
To learn more about the data collected from our Nashua COVID-19 testing clinics, please visit the Greater Nashua Data Dashboard hosted on LiveStories.
For More Information
- State of NH Testing Webpage
- Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Testing Insights Initiative
- Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Testing Fact Sheet