The website to order your free at-home coronavirus tests, at COVIDtests-dot-gov is now live. Brooke Thorington has more from a physician on the reliability of a home test.
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The estranged husband of a Slidell woman who was dismembered and her body parts kept in a freezer is calling on the justice system to keep the accused killer behind bars on no bail. Jeff Palermo has the story…
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Physicians advise if you are experiencing COVID symptoms to assume you have the virus and stay home. It might not be COVID but Dr. Lucio Miele, Chair of the Department of Genetics at LSU Health New Orleans says if you test negative with a home test, you’re not out of the woods just yet.
Because you are more likely to get a false negative with a home rapid test, it’s best to test again a few days later. Miele says the PCR test is more accurate, but it takes several days to receive results. He says having both speed and sensitivity is a difficult combination in a test.
Miele says if you’ve been exposed you should wait five days to be tested. If you have a PCR test that’s negative in that time frame but still have symptoms you might want to be tested for other things like the flu. If you test negative with a rapid test, Miele says you need to test again days later.
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The website COVIDtests.gov for individuals to order free home tests is now live. You are initially limited to four tests per household.
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U-S Senate Democratic candidate Gary Chambers, who is one of two announced challengers to Republican John Kennedy released a campaign ad today that shows him smoking marijuana. Chambers says the goal of the ad is to destigmatize the drug and support legalization and decriminalization.
Luke Mixon is the other announced Democratic challenger to Kennedy, who is not in jeopardy of losing his Senate seat. Reporter Tyler Bridges is covering the Senate race for the Advocate newspaper and says it’s a bold move by Chambers to show him smoking marijuana in a campaign ad…
Bridges has been covering political races in Louisiana for decades and admits a commercial showing a US Senate candidate smoking marijuana is unique…
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The family of a Slidell mother believed to have been decapitated in New Orleans is demanding that the man suspected of killing her be held without bail. Julia Dardar’s dismembered body was found in a freezer and local artist Benjamin Beale has been charged in her death. Julia’s estranged husband Micah Dardar spoke on the steps of New Orleans City Hall…
Beale’s bond is currently at one point four million dollars. He’s facing numerous charges including second-degree murder and obstruction of justice. Micah Dardar says they are concerned that Beale’s parents have the ability to bond him out…
Micah Dardar reported Julia missing on December 23rd. He says Julia Dardar suffered from addiction and mental health issues and he knew she was hanging around Beale, who is also known as Kelley Kirkpatrick…
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The National Weather Service says there’s the possibility of a wintry mix later this week. A strong cold front arrives tomorrow bringing the potential for strong storms late Wednesday in north Louisiana. Meteorologist Kevin Owens says behind the front is very cold air and once the temperature gets close to the freezing mark, freezing rain is possible…
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The wintry mix is possible for north and central Louisiana Thursday morning and south Louisiana north of I-10 and I-12 Thursday night through Friday morning. Owens says tomorrow will start off as a mild day and then some of the coldest weather of the winter will arrive…