Last updated December 20, 2022

Testing at Nantucket Cottage Hospital

Nantucket Cottage Hospital is currently providing free COVID-19 antigen test kits at the hospital’s front entrances for anyone in the community while supplies last. (Please note the expiration date on the outside of the box is the correct expiration. The FDA changed the expiration dates on these kits). 

If you have symptoms that cause you concern, we recommend you make an appointment with your primary care provider, schedule an appointment at our urgent access clinic or visit the emergency room if indicated.

If you choose to use an antigen test without a visit, please make sure to quarantine at home regardless of your result if symptomatic and to follow our state guidance on next steps.

Additional Antigen Test Kit Resources

The Biden Administration has made free at-home COVID-19 rapid tests available to all residents through a new web-based ordering platform. Each household is entitled to 4 testing kits through this program. These rapid antigen at-home tests can be ordered from the U.S. Post Office at COVID Home Tests | USPS. You can learn more about this federal program at: COVIDtests.gov – Free at-home COVID-19 tests.

Massachusetts residents have a number of options to get tested for COVID-19. For more details, visit www.mass.gov/gettested.

COVID-19 Testing for Pre-Procedural Patients

Patients who are required to be tested for COVID-19 prior to a surgery, procedure, or other medical appointment at Nantucket Cottage Hospital will have their COVID-19 test scheduled by our pre-operative department. Please contact your care team.

Antibody Testing

Nantucket Cottage Hospital is offering COVID-19 antibody testing with a physician order if there is a medical need. Antibody testing is not being offered on-demand. We know patients are curious about whether they may have previously been exposed to the virus, however, antibody testing does not give patients any definitive information regarding immunity or the potential for reinfection. In the absence of symptoms, antibody testing has no role in clinical management at this time. Additionally, the CDC states that in populations with low prevalence, antibody testing can be inaccurate up to 50% of the time. So at this point, outpatient antibody testing is being done elsewhere, in most cases, for the sake of curiosity with little or no medical value. Because in most cases it is not considered medically necessary, it’s also not clear whether insurance carriers will cover the cost of testing.