As the pandemic has progressed, COVID testing has become a lot more accessible, affordable, and reliable. Thanks to the advent of scientific technology, you can even request same-day PCR test results—a process that once took around two days.
However, there is still a lot of confusion about when to get tested for COVID.
Let’s address some of these queries:
Do monitor your symptoms
Do monitor your health before getting tested. Watch out for any symptoms of COVID19. If you have a fever, nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, or shortness of breath, get tested immediately.
If you don’t have any symptoms but have been in contact with a potentially infected person, there are two ways to go about it:
You isolate yourself and wait it out. Stay in quarantine for around ten days to see if you’ve been infected.
Get tested if you need to get back to work immediately and the workplace requires a test.
In most cases, waiting it out is a better option since most tests are only effective if you’re showing symptoms. You don’t want to get tested too early and get a false negative.
Do monitor your symptoms
Suppose you’ve traveled back from another state and have immediately tested negative upon landing. We still recommend you observe self-quarantine for around a week. This is because, at times, it takes several days before your symptoms start showing up. However, you can carry on the infection if you’re a carrier.
Do monitor your symptoms
Don’t end your isolation until you test negative again. Even if you feel like you’re getting better and on the road to recovery, it might be too soon to leave your room and be around your family again. Don’t engage in any guesswork and assume that you’ve recovered.
Get retested! You’re only safe to be around your family after you’ve tested negative. We recommend getting retested ten days after the first onset of the symptoms. You can also get a second test done if you haven’t experienced any symptoms for around 24 hours. Seek your healthcare provider’s advice in this case.
Good Hearts Testing offers same-day PCR, antigen, and antibody testing in Miami for individuals and large corporate groups. Other than in-office testing, we would also be glad to visit your home/office to conduct your test. Book your appointment now, and we will get back to you.
The most accurate COVID-19 test is the PCR test; the complete form is a polymerase chain reaction test. It’s a reliable COVID test for diagnosing whether a person has an active SARS-CoV-2 infection.
The PCR test is considered the gold standard test so let’s look at more details about the test and how it is performed.
What Is the PCR Test?
A PCR test is conducted to detect certain genetic material or RNA from a virus and see if that virus is present in the body. The test comes under the category of molecular tests and is used to find out if a person is currently infected at the time when the sample was collected.
To conduct the PCR test, the genetic material of the virus is isolated and then copied multiple times. This genetic material is used to identify traces of the virus, and the copying process allows the test to detect even the smallest trace of the virus in the sample.
Since the PCR test is more accurate than other tests, you might be asked to take this test by health care professionals if you show symptoms of COVID-19 or if you’ve been in close contact with someone who tested positive for the virus.
In other cases, a medical practitioner might ask you to take a molecular test after you’ve taken a rapid antigen test to confirm the results.
How Is the Test Performed?
The PCR test is performed by collecting a small sample from either the nose or the throat of a person. If your medical professional is taking a swab from your nose, they will insert a small cotton bud into one of your nostrils, leave it in place for a few seconds, then turn it one or two times to ensure the sample is collected. Sometimes, the healthcare providers insert the swab into both nostrils to ascertain that the cotton has absorbed the fluid sample.
Some people feel slight discomfort or pain during the swab test, especially if the cotton needs to be inserted deeper into the nostril to reach the nasopharynx, an area behind the nose.
The test may make your eyes water or cause you to flinch or gag, and these are all normal reactions. The test only takes a few minutes, and there are no lasting side effects or pain.
Specific molecular tests such as the rapid antigen test can also collect a fluid sample from a person’s saliva. This kind of test requires you to spit into a test tube until a sufficient quantity of saliva is collected.
Understanding the Test Results
The turnaround time for the PCR test depends on the testing center, the laboratory, or the hospital where the test was performed. It can be anywhere between 30 minutes to three working days.
The test result will be either positive or negative. If it’s positive, this means you have an active SARS-CoV-2 infection and need to self-isolate as per FDA regulations. If the test is negative, you are clear of any genetic materials in your body, and you don’t have COVID-19.
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With various tests for COVID-19 available on the market, choosing the right one can seem confusing.
In reality, the major tests recommended by authorities such as the CDC and WHO are completely safe and accurate to a great degree, but they have subtle differences and advantages which could make one type more feasible than the other.
Testing is crucial to ensure that you don’t risk other people’s lives, and have the necessary clearance to travel safely.. Here’s a guide to the various kinds of COVID-19 testing being performed.
Molecular test (aka RNA or PCR test)
Molecular tests are often called PCR tests, short for polymerase chain reaction, which is the lab methodology for detecting the virus’ genetic material. The process is fairly simple, requiring another person to collect mucus from either your throat or nose using a swap.
The results for PCR tests are very accurate, having a turnaround time ranging from several minutes to a few days. The time duration for Covid-10 results can vary depending on the test site; whether the test was done onsite or at another facility.
Recent developments suggest that saliva can also be used for testing purposes and provide accurate results.
Antibody Test (Aka Serology Test or Blood Test)
Healthcare professionals perform antibody tests by taking blood samples from a finger prick or drawing it from your veins. Antibody tests are generally slower, as the samples are tested at a medical lab, which can take a few days, and delay the test results. Recent developments suggest faster turnaround times, as minimal as 15 minutes with new point-of-care tests.
Unfortunately, these tests can’t help diagnose an active case of COVID, as these are generally useful for finding out past infections. These tests are crucial in learning about the asymptomatic infection and the overall prevalence of the Coronavirus.
Rapid Antigen Tests
Antigen tests are called rapid tests, as these have a quick turnaround time. They take 10-15 minutes to produce results, which is why these are used for large scale screening efforts at events and high traffic places like airports. These Rapid Antigen tests operate in the same manner as a PCR test, with a healthcare professional swapping your nose or throat for samples.
However, these tests are often unable to detect an active case of the Coronavirus, which means that a doctor can rule out false negatives in case someone tests negative but shows symptoms of COVID.
At Good Hearts Testing, we provide a complete array of fast COVID testing techniques in Miami. Whether you’re looking for same-day antigen, PCR or antibody testing, we provide all three. Our services also cater to different industries, providing at-home COVID tests, group testing, production testing and in-studio testing.
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Many organizations, including schools and factories, have started resuming operations across the US. Despite the vaccinations being rolled out, it’s still essential to ensure necessary precautions.
People need to maintain social distancing, wear masks, and practice personal hygiene. These guidelines are primarily directed toward vulnerable seniors with weakened immune systems.
With vaccination drives are in full swing, there’s a lot of uncertainty. What is the efficacy of the vaccines? How long will it remain effective? Can I get COVID-19 after vaccination?
Here’s a guide to help you deal with the possibility of contracting COVID-19. If you think you’ve been exposed to the airborne disease, here’s what to do.
Know Your Risks
Stay up-to-date about your health. People with current or pre-existing medical conditions must stay vigilant. Attending public gatherings, shaking hands, not wearing a mask, and inadequate personal hygiene can be a recipe for disaster.
The risk of contracting the virus is very high for people above 50. However, this doesn’t mean youngsters are immune. Make sure you follow CDC instructions if you have diabetes, hypertension, asthma, PSTD, COPD, sinus issues, hypertension, cardiac problems, or a suppressed immune system.
Know Your Risks
COVID-19 is an RNA-based virus which is transmitted via air droplets. When you’re in close vicinity with an affected person, the virus can travel through the air and enter your body. It can also transmit via an infected surface. Touching your mouth, nose, or eyes after touching a possibly infected surface can lead to contraction.
You must determine whether you’ve been living, taking care, or working with someone who has COVID-19. Moreover, assess whether you had a direct interaction like sharing a water bottle, shaking hands, kissing, or hugging with them. This would help you determine if you might’ve contracted COVID-19.
Exposed But No Symptoms
Asymptomatic cases are a pressing challenge for healthcare communities. Doctors and medical workers are continuously telling people to stay home and practice social distancing. However, they’re unable to detect asymptomatic cases.
When an infected person doesn’t show any symptoms, they’re likely go about their everyday activities. This may include attending school, workplace, eating at a restaurant, etc. This increases the chances of rapid virus transmission.
Getting tested is the most efficient way to know whether you have COVID-19. Moreover, continue to practice the public health guidelines. Monitor your symptoms throughout the 14-day incubation period.
Reliable Same Day and Next Day PCR Tests in Miami
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Covid-19 cases are again rising nationally and locally. The true number of cases is likely much higher than what is being reported due to many cases being diagnosed with at home antigen testing. Most cases are being caused by Omicron BA.2 sub-variants. Disease severity is much milder than prior iterations of the virus such as Delta or the original Alpha strain. Most importantly we are seeing much less pneumonia with the latest variants. This is important because pneumonia is the leading cause of hospitalization and death from a Covid -19 infection. When you combine this with the fact that most people are either previously vaccinated, previously infected, or both; the disease is not nearly as dangerous as what we were seeing previously.
Therapeutics are also more widely available than ever before and now include oral Anti-Viral Medication (i.e Paxlovid) as well as IV Monoclonal Antibody Therapy. There are pro’s and con’s to each therapy and I am getting a lot of questions about which therapy is best.
Both treatments are effective in preventing hospitalization and death and work best when started as soon as possible after symptom onset. Both are indicated for high risk patients, with mild to moderate illness not requiring hospitalization, within 5 days of symptom onset.
Rebound After Paxlovid Treatment
Unfortunately, I have seen several cases of rebound after Paxlovid treatment and the FDA recently issued a health advisory regarding this phenomenon. What this means is patients who were treated with Paxlovid initially experience resolution of symptoms, test negative, and then experience either a rebound of symptoms or a subsequent positive viral test. Covid-19 rebound typically occurs 2-8 days after initial recovery. This can be aggravating as patients who experience rebound after treatment may experience a longer duration of illness and also are capable of transmitting Covid-19 during this rebound period. This also means they should again isolate during this infectious period.
Fortunately we do not see this with Monoclonal Antibody Therapy which is something to consider when choosing therapy for a Covid-19 infection. Also there are several drug interactions to consider before starting to take Paxlovid so please consult with your doctor before initiating therapy. Monoclonal Antibody Therapy does not have these interactions.
As always if you are sick reach out to your physician about which therapy is best for you. I just wanted to share my experience from what I have seen clinically in the Emergency Department and hopefully help you make the best and most informed decision possible if you should require therapy for an acute Covid-19 infection.
We currently offer At Home Monoclonal Antibody Therapy as well as Telehealth appointments for Paxlovid Prescriptions if you need help coordinating treatment.
The Benefits of COVID-19 Antibody Tests for Corporate Employees
Antibody testing can help determine whether a person was infected with the coronavirus in the past and if they’ve developed enough antibodies to be immune to the virus in the present.
Many employers in America are now considering antibody testing for their workers as part of the requirements for resuming in-person work. A research survey found that 82% of employers want to perform antibody tests as part of a back-to-work strategy.
On the other hand, 59% of employees stated they would feel safer and more comfortable coming back to work if their employers offered them antibody testing.
Today, we’ll see some of the benefits of the COVID-19 antibody test for employees who work in corporations and productions.
Peace of Mind and Sense of Safety for Employees
A significant advantage of employees getting a COVID-19 antibody test is finding out whether they have some measure of protection from the coronavirus. If an employee tests positive for the antibody test, this means their immune system has produced the antibodies needed to fight the virus, offering them immunity against infection.
This knowledge will provide employees with a sense of security and safety when they are working in person at their company. The corporate employees who know they are immune to the virus will be more comfortable coming back to work physically, and they will feel more at ease when they’re inside their organization.
Peace of Mind and Sense of Safety for Employees
Another essential benefit of conducting antibody tests on corporate employees is that it will help keep the workplace safe for all employees, staff, managers, assistants, workers, etc.
If corporate employees are tested for immunity against the virus, it will make it easier to determine who should be allowed to resume work at the company and who should be encouraged to stay home and continue working remotely.
Performing antibody tests on employees will also increase awareness about COVID-19 and the different testing methods available to the employees. The employers could further ensure safety measures such as health screenings at the door, temperature checks, socially distanced work desks, etc.
Ability to Donate Plasma to Other Infected Patients
If a person takes a COVID-19 antibody test and the results are positive, the presence of antibodies in their blood can help other infected patients who are suffering from more severe cases of the infection.
A person who has built antibodies against the virus can donate their blood to hospitals and medical care camps. The plasma in their donated blood can be processed to develop a convalescent plasma product.
This product is helpful for other patients who are battling against the virus. The donation of plasma can help the infected people by boosting their immune systems and helping them fight the virus.
Hence, if corporate employees undergo antibody testing, they can potentially save the lives of other COVID-19 patients.
If you’d like to get a corporate COVID test in Miami, get in touch with us at Good Hearts Testing. We offer Covid antibody tests in Miami, and we provide on-site and in-studio testing along with special discounts for group COVID testing of above ten people. Book online today.
With the pandemic taking over the world and impacting every country, all of last year was spent under lockdown and went by while social distancing. The virus has been quite severe, infecting millions and resulting in around 3.494 million deaths.
Even though general safety measures have been published and increased awareness of these, it has been challenging to curb the spread of this virus. The only plausible solution to the pandemic has been to develop a vaccine. With Pfizer/BioNtech being the first vaccine to be rolled out in the US, several nations such as the UK and China have started to develop their vaccine. With many more vaccines coming up in the near future, an important question on everyone’s mind is whether the vaccines are effective in reducing the risk of infection and if an antibody test is needed to measure this.
How Do Vaccines Work?
It is essential to understand how infections affect your body before explaining what a vaccine can do. When your body encounters an infection, the defensive white blood cells in your body start trying to fight the disease. These defensive white blood cells, also called B-lymphocytes, successfully form plasmocytes to produce antibodies and help your body fight off the disease. However, these antibodies take time to form, and by the time they develop, the person may have been infected and even cured.
The next time a person gets exposed to the same disease, the body has learned how to react and take quick action to fight off the disease. Vaccines work in much the same way. There are several types of vaccines, such as those containing genetic parts of the virus to guide our cells on fighting the disease, vaccines that insert innocuous pieces of the virus so that once our bodies are vaccinated, they can fight off the disease, and many more. Whatever the kind of vaccine, the ultimate aim is to equip our bodies and strengthen our immunity to help fight off the disease in the future.
Increased vaccination doesn’t just protect the individual but helps to protect entire communities. As more and more individuals get vaccinated, there is a lesser chance of the virus infecting someone who is not vaccinated. This happens because a majority of the population is vaccinated. They have a lesser chance of getting the infection, so the infection rate is reduced even for a non-vaccinated individual. This process is called herd immunity and may take years to develop.
Especially in a highly contagious virus-like COVID-19, herd immunity can only develop when around 50%-90% of the population gets vaccinated.
How Long Does It Take Your Body to Develop Immunity After Getting Vaccinated?
Although most vaccines require two doses, some vaccines require only a single shot for a person to get fully vaccinated. Two shots are administered because the first shot helps start the phase in which your body creates protection, and the second shot helps to reaffirm and reimpose this process. Therefore, it can be said that one shot of the vaccine does not create a robust immune response, and so a second shot is needed to ensure it does. The patient cannot be administered both shots simultaneously and must wait a stipulated time frame to receive the second shot.
Even then, your body does not develop immunity instantly. It takes a while—around seven to fourteen days—to build immunity and be fully vaccinated. If you are infected after the second shot but fourteen days have not passed, you will not be considered vaccinated and may need to start the whole process again. While vaccines may boost your immunity for the first months, it is not sure how long vaccination will last in the long run, and a person may have to get vaccinated later again.
How Long Does It Take Your Body to Develop Immunity After Getting Vaccinated?
Antibodies are Y-shaped receptors that are produced to help your body fight off infections. When your body fights off infections such as COVID-19, the response helps develop antibodies produced with the help of your memory cells. Your memory cells contain and remember some parts of the virus remnants inside your body at the time of infection and thus develop antibodies as a response to help fight the same intruders in the future.
Vaccines work to develop antibodies by equipping your body with the tools to ward off infections. That is why people have reported experiencing side effects such as headaches, body pains, and slight fever upon getting vaccinated. Everyone won’t experience the same side effects because of differences in their genetic makeup.
What Will an Antibody Test Tell You?
Antibody testing is used to tell you whether your blood contains antibodies to help fight off the virus. A COVID-19 antibody test will assess whether you have already encountered COVID-19 or whether your body, once fully vaccinated, is ready to fight off the infection. However, it shouldn’t be a surprise that your antibody test result can still come back negative even if you are fully vaccinated.
Positive Result: A positive test result will tell you that you may have had COVID-19 in the past and therefore developed antibodies as a result. This is not a surprise, even if you would have never thought you had the infection. Some people are asymptomatic in that they may get exposed and even get infected by the virus, but they do not experience the symptoms associated with the virus. As many as 40% of those people who get COVID-19 may be asymptomatic.
Negative Result: A negative test result indicates that your body has not encountered the virus recently. However, it is not confident that you may have had a COVID-19 infection sometime in the past. Since it usually takes around three months for antibodies to develop, it also means that they will reduce in the coming months.
The Different Types of COVID-19 Tests:
Although there is usually some confusion regarding the different COVID-19 tests, it is essential to remember that there are two kinds of tests for COVID-19 as approved by the FDA:
PCR test: A much more common kind of test and usually the one most used to determine the presence of COVID-19, it is tested through a nasal swab or throat swab. The fluid is then tested for a few days to determine if your body has COVID-19 germs and is usually the most accurate test out there. These tests are performed by health care professions, further confirming their efficacy.
Antigen test: Also called an antibody test, this test determines the presence of a spike protein of the coronavirus. This detection assesses whether you have had COVID-19 in the past and if your body has developed an immunity response.
The Different Types of Antibody Tests:
Antibodies may be present in your blood for several weeks after you’ve recovered from COVID-19 and may presume a level of immunity. Still, it is not sure how effective these antibodies maybe when it comes to protecting you against the virus. There are typically two types of antibody tests:
Binding Antibodies: These tests showcase one and one thing, and that is whether your body has developed or produced any antibodies as a result of recovery from COVID-19. They only detect antibodies but do not help point out how effective the immunization response is.
Neutralizing Antibodies: Once you’ve tested positive for antibodies, the neutralizing antibodies test comes in. A more novel test tests the efficacy of antibodies in terms of their immunization response. Therefore, it tests out whether your body can fight off the virus to analyze your immunization response towards COVID-19.
Do You Need an Antibody Test After Getting Vaccinated?
The real question is, now that you have gotten vaccinated, can your antibody test help you determine the efficacy of the vaccine? Indeed, this is not true because some individuals have gotten a negative antibody test result after getting vaccinated, indicating that their body has not developed antibodies and, therefore, immunity against the virus.
Since the vaccine is based on the coronavirus spike protein, it cannot be said for sure that an antibody test would indeed determine the presence of antibodies against this spike protein. An antibody is usually helpful in determining whether the patient has previously been diagnosed with the COVID-19 infection. It is not clear that an antibody may be because of a previous infection or because of the vaccine. A conclusion cannot be separated and drawn out.
Another essential feature is the accuracy of the antibody test. Even though the FDA has reviewed and approved the antibody test, certain things may go wrong or measures that have not been accounted for, such as sensitivity with regards to how precisely the test identifies between those who have been vaccinated or infected. The second measure is specificity, whether the test differentiates between those who were infected or vaccinated and does not include others at all.
There have been many cases with people reporting a false positive or false negative test, so the chances are that sometimes an antibody test can also be false, and conclusions should not be drawn from them. Therefore, neither can an antibody test determine the efficiency of the vaccine or assess the body’s immunity from COVID-19.
There are three different types of COVID-19 tests available so far. The first is the polymerase chain reaction or PCR test, a diagnostic test that collects fluid from the nasal or throat cavity and gives results in 48 hours or more.
The second test is an antibody test which is quick and efficient and determines whether a person’s immune system has developed antibodies to fight against the virus. The third test is an antigen test which looks for specific proteins to see if the person is infected with the coronavirus.
Let’s find out when you should take a COVID-19 test.
Contact with An Infected Person
If you’ve had contact with an infected person who tested positive for the coronavirus or is showing symptoms, you should get tested as well, whether you are showing symptoms of the virus or not.
Testing for COVID-19 will help identify individuals who are positive, even if they are asymptomatic or haven’t developed the symptoms yet. This will allow them to find out early in the progression of the disease so they can follow health and safety guidelines and prevent the infection from spreading further.
The incubation period of the coronavirus is approximately 5 to 7 days and can extend up to 14 days. You should be careful not to get tested too early after exposure to an infected person, as this may result in a false negative.
Showing Symptoms of The Virus
If you’re showing symptoms of the coronavirus, then you should immediately get tested. Common symptoms of the virus include fever, extreme fatigue, dry cough, pain in bones and muscles, sore throat, conjunctivitis, loss of smell or taste, headache, diarrhea, discoloration of toes or fingers, rash on the skin, difficulty breathing, chest pains, shortness of breath, loss of movement or speech, etc.
According to the guidelines given by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC, a person who is showing symptoms of the virus and tests positive should isolate at their home for ten days.
Retesting for Coronavirus
If you already took a PCR test for the purposes of travel or something else but started to show symptoms afterward or get exposed to the virus later on, you should take another test.
If you’re a healthcare worker, the CDC recommends that you should take two consecutive PCR tests within 24 hours, and if both results come back negative, then you can safely return to work.
To get a corona test in Miami, get in touch with Good Hearts Testing. We offer quick and easy COVID testing in Miami for all types of COVID tests, including reliable PCR tests, rapid or antigen COVID tests, and COVID antibody tests.
Our testing services include at-home COVID test and drive-thru COVID test along with in-studio COVID testing and same-day COVID test. We also provide COVID travel certificates for people who want to travel in or out of Miami. Contact us today.
