COVID-19 Resources

A positive at-home test does not need to be confirmed in Ochsner facilities and a visit to the emergency department will result in an emergency department bill, which is far more expensive than an at-home COVID-19 test.

Our emergency departments and clinics have seen record-breaking volumes of patients with mild or no symptoms seeking rapid COVID-19 tests. To ensure that our community members who need it can receive critical or life-saving care, patients will have medical screening exams to seek status of emergency medical conditions. Rapid testing will be limited to patients with medical conditions who are determined to need immediate COVID-19 status awareness after a medical screening exam is performed. Patients will get results via MyOchsner or by phone, if a patient does not have a MyOchsner account. Results for PCR tests may take up to 72 hours.

At-Home Testing

At-home rapid tests are effective at detecting the Omicron variant and are a convenient way to learn your COVID-19 status. If seeking a test, we strongly recommend at-home testing. Ochsner recognizes that at-home tests may be in shorter supply, so we recommend isolating without a positive test if you are experiencing mild or moderate symptoms or utilizing community testing sites.

Community Testing

• Louisiana Department of Health testing locations are listed here: ldh.la.gov.
• We also offer testing locally Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport - Kings Highway | 1606 Kings Highway Shreveport, LA 71103

Ochsner COVID-19 Self Care and Symptom Monitoring Program

• If you or a loved one has recently tested positive for COVID-19, you can also easily enroll in Ochsner’s free COVID-19 Self Care and Symptom Monitoring Program. By completing a quick form in MyOchsner, you will be automatically registered into our program. If symptoms worsen, our care team will be there to guide on next steps and treatment options.
• Click on this tip sheet to learn more.

Emergency Rooms and Urgent Cares

Urgent Care

Please do not visit urgent care unless you need immediate attention. Our urgent care clinics are seeing record volume with long wait times. People use urgent care centers for high fevers, accidents, falls, injuries like cuts, minor breaks, sprains and strains, and other illnesses. As a community we need to ensure people who need Ochsner’s care can receive it. Please use at-home tests or community testing sites to seek COVID-19 tests, for travel and exposure testing, and the COVID-19 Self Care and Symptom Monitoring Program if possible. A positive at-home test does not need to be confirmed in an Ochsner LSU Health urgent care.

Urgent Care Virtual Visits through Ochsner Anywhere Care

Virtual visits remain available for common illnesses and urgent care needs. If you'd like to see a provider without leaving home, visit ochsner.org/anywhere to start an Ochsner Anywhere Care virtual visit.

Emergency Rooms

Please do not visit emergency departments unless you have medical needs that warrant emergency care. Our emergency departments are seeing record volume with extraordinarily long waits. Please do not visit emergency departments if you are asymptomatic or mildly sick or are only seeking a COVID-19 test. The emergency department is a place for true emergencies, such as difficulty breathing, severe bleeding, severe accidents, heart attacks, strokes, gunshots and other major wounds. Using the emergency department for care other than emergencies takes precious resources away from patients in need of lifesaving care. As a community, we need to ensure the people who need Ochsner LSU Health's care can receive it. Please use at-home tests or community testing sites to seek COVID-19 tests, and the COVID-19 Self Care and Symptom Monitoring Program if possible. A positive at-home test does not need to be confirmed in an Ochsner LSU Health emergency room, and a visit to the emergency department will result in an emergency department bill, which is far more expensive than an at-home COVID-19 test.

If you do not need emergency medical care, please visit ochsner.org/testing for testing locations, where you will be billed only for testing, not an emergency room visit.

How you can protect yourself and your family:

Vaccines are still the best defense when it comes to slowing the spread and preventing severe symptoms or illness leading to hospitalization or death.

To make a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, schedule in your MyChart account by visiting my.ochsner.org/lsu or call 318-626-0050 for Shreveport locations or 318-330-7599 for Monroe locations, or, find a community vaccine event here: ochsner.org/vaccineinfo.

The Centers for Disease Control says all fully vaccinated individuals ages 12 and over should receive the booster shot if it's been at least five months since you completed the Pfizer vaccine series, five months since you completed the Moderna vaccine series or at least two months since you received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. At this time, only the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is authorized and recommended for children aged 5-17.