Things to Know Before Going for Your COVID19 Test
GOOD HEARTS HEALTH
Email: Dr.Q@goodheartshealth.com
GOOD HEARTS HEALTH
Phone: (786) 747-7904 Email: Dr.Q@goodheartshealth.com
Things to Know Before Going for Your COVID19 Test
In order to limit the spread of the coronavirus and reduce the rate of infections, it’s important to conduct frequent and expansive COVID-19 testing. A major cause of the rapid spread of the virus is due to asymptomatic patients who have contracted the virus but don’t show any symptoms, so they walk around spreading the infection to others. The only way to prevent this is to get a COVID-19 test and then self-isolate for a minimum of 10 days if the result is positive.
If you’re going for a COVID-19 test, here are some things you should know beforehand.
There Are Three Different Types of COVID Tests Available
The first thing you should know is that currently, three different types of COVID tests are available, namely the PCR test, the antibody test, and the antigen test.
The polymerase chain reaction or PCR test is the most accurate test, which detects certain COVID-19 particles in a fluid sample collected by taking a nasopharyngeal or an oropharyngeal swab from a person. The test can determine whether a person has a live or very recently dead virus in their body at the time of collection of sample.
The second test is an antibody or serology test, which measures the body’s response to the virus by collecting evidence in the form of antibodies in the blood. The presence or lack of antibodies shows whether a person had been infected with the coronavirus sometime in the past.
The last test is an antigen test that searches for antigen proteins of the virus and can reveal whether a person currently has the coronavirus. This test is time-sensitive and cannot provide any data before or after the infection has run its course and is no longer present in the person’s system.
The Different Tests and Meaning of Their Results
If you are showing symptoms of COVID-19 or were exposed to someone who tested positive, you need to get a diagnostic test to determine whether you have the virus. If you undergo a PCR test and it comes back positive, you need to immediately self-isolate and inform people you’ve been in contact with for the past few days about your results.
If you take a rapid antigen test and it comes back negative, a doctor may ask you to take the molecular PCR test to confirm that you don’t have COVID-19. While you’re waiting for the test results, you should behave as if you have the virus and follow all health and safety guidelines.
Lastly, if the antibody test comes back positive, this means you have developed antibodies and can fight against the virus. You should consider donating your blood for plasma to help other infected patients who are battling against the virus.
For convenient and easy COVID testing in Miami, get in touch with Good Hearts Testing. We offer RT-PCR test in Miami along with at-home COVID testing, production COVID testing, drive-thru COVID testing, corporate COVID tests, antigen COVID test, and antibody COVID test at affordable rates. Contact us today or book an appointment online.