What Should You Know About COVID-19 Testing?

You may have interacted with a COVID-19-infected individual in your daily interactions. Over time, you may show symptoms, including fever, headaches, breathing difficulties, and fatigue, which may indicate COVID-19. You can only be sure you are safe when you get a Sugar Land Covid test that may involve PCR testing to check for the presence of the virus causing this infection. The test will offer quick and reliable results that can help you determine the level of care you need through the infection.

Who Needs COVID-19 Testing?

Your doctor may recommend this test if you show fever, cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue, body aches, and headaches. You may also begin experiencing loss of taste and smell, a running and congested nose, sore throat, nausea, and vomiting. However, you may also fail to show any symptoms of COVID-19, and if you are symptomatic, the above symptoms may not appear.

What Are The Types of COVID-19 Testing?

You may likely undergo different tests to check for signs of COVID-19 infection. Your doctor may perform a PCR test that detects genetic material from a virus and can show if you have a COVID-19 virus. Polymerase chain reaction tests can detect shreds of a virus long after you have healed from an infection. The test has proven reliable and accurate for detecting the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which results in COVID-19. Secondly, you may need an antibody test that checks for COVID-19 antibodies that mostly appear weeks after a COVID infection.

What Are The Steps In a PCR COVID-19 Testing?

Your PCR test will happen in three simple steps. Firstly, your doctor may use a sterile swab to collect a sample from your nose during a sample collection. Nose swabs can come in the form of nasal swabs that collect from your nostrils, while a nasopharyngeal swab will travel further into your nasal cavity. Your doctor will use either of the two swabs and seal the collected sample in a tube that goes to the laboratory for testing. Secondly, your doctor will extract genetic material from the sample. Lastly, the PCR step will involve using certain chemicals and enzymes inside a machine. This machine’s heating and cooling process will amplify the number of targeted genes, resulting in copies of the virus’s genetic material.

What Are The Possible Results of COVID-19 Testing?

Your test may show a positive result, meaning you have a COVID-19 infection. You may need home care to recover without medical care, especially if you have a mild illness. Worse symptoms may, however, need medication. Your test may also show a negative result, meaning you do not have an infection at the testing time. However, this result does not mean you are safe. You will still need to take precautionary steps to protect yourself from COVID-19.

You can contact St. Michael’s Elite Hospital for your COVID-19 testing today. Your doctor will offer you the test quickly, efficiently, and accurately so you will not experience any discomfort. Your doctor may also provide you with preventive tips to keep you safe. Visit the website to make your appointment.