Free COVID Testing Extended in Downtown Evansville

Mayor Lloyd Winnecke's Reopen Evansville Task Force has announced they're extending the free COVID-19 testing that's been taking place at the C.K. Newsome Center in downtown Evansville for the past few months.

In a press release, the Mayor's Director of Communications, Noah Stubbs, announced the testing will now continue through the end of October for those of us who live or work in Evansville. Testing is free and medical insurance is not necessary, however if you do have insurance coverage, you will be asked to provide that info during the scheduling process. Speaking of which, you do need to schedule a time in advance which you can either do online, or by calling 888-634-1116. The tests are administered every Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.

If you've never had a COVID test, I can tell you the process is relatively quick, and not as unpleasant as you may think. Not to say that it is pleasant, there is some brief discomfort, but I didn't find it to be as bad as some of the stories early on made it out to be. The whole process took maybe two minutes. They take a long Q-Tip and put it up one nostril to just below the bridge of your nose, so it's decent way up there. But the fun doesn't stop there. Once they've hit pay dirt, they hold it there for five to ten seconds, spinning it around to make sure they get a good sample, then repeat the process in the other nostril. Is it uncomfortable? Yes, but I wouldn't call it "painful." There is a bit of a burning sensation, and my eyes watered a bit, both of which the tech who gave me the test warned me about before we got started. With that said, both sensations were gone within a few minutes of the test being over. As for the results, I got the test at Noon on a Friday, and was told I tested negative by 7:00 the next morning. The most agonizing part of the whole thing was 19 hours of waiting for those results. My mind instantly went to what would happen if my result came back positive. I'd have to stay home for two weeks. Would I have mild symptoms? More severe? Or, no symptoms at all? Fortunately, I didn't have to find out, and hopefully I never will.

[Source: Reopen Evansville Task Force]