COVID-19 testing may be the most crucial step we can take as a society to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus.
Testing is important so that we can have public health measures in place to prevent people from getting infected in the first place. A large proportion of people with COVID-19 are asymptomatic at this time. We need to be able to identify these people and have measures to prevent them from infecting others, especially since there are no vaccines.
6 situations in which you should take a COVID-19 test
You have symptoms
People who have symptoms of the new coronavirus are a priority to get tested.
Contact your doctor before getting tested if you suspect you have COVID-19. If your symptoms are mild, your doctor may ask you to wait. And, if you do get tested, you'll need to take extra care to avoid spreading the infection.
But being symptomatic isn't the only reason to get tested for coronavirus. If you live in an area where tests are available, we will tell you about other times when it is appropriate, even necessary, to take the test.
You have had direct contact with someone who is positive or symptomatic
If we know anything at this point, it is that SARS-CoV-2 travels with extreme speed and efficiency.
This is definitely the most important criterion. If you have been in contact with someone who has actually tested positive, absolutely, absolutely, yes, you should seek to take a test.
The same is true if a person has symptoms but a test has not been done.
This could be especially important as more and more workplaces open up. And if the tests are abundant, you can also consider getting tested by second degree, that is, if you have been in contact with someone who has been in contact with another person who has tested positive or has symptoms.
Don't get tested too soon
If you get tested too soon after you think you've been exposed to COVID-19, you can get a false negative result. That is, the test result will be negative, when you actually have the virus. The chances of having a false negative are greater the closer you are to the date of infection.
In most people, viral load increases reasonably within three to five days after infection.
You work in a high-risk profession
This could include medical care or a nursing home.
If you are working in a situation where you have high contact with sick patients, it is also imperative to get tested on a regular basis. People who work in health care are considered a high priority because they come into contact with vulnerable populations.
You want to see a high-risk family member or friend
This could mean anyone 65 and older, as well as people with underlying health conditions like heart disease and diabetes, along with diseases that weaken their immune system, such as lupus.
If they are infected, it could cause the infection to spiral out of control. You should also get tested if you are the caregiver of someone at high risk.
Since the tests are so accurate, you should also monitor for signs and symptoms. Symptoms appear about five days after exposure to the virus , and most patients see symptoms within 12 days, according to a July 2020 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
You've been in a crowd
Ideally, you shouldn't be in any kind of large crowd or gathering. It is very important not to be in a crowd at this time. But, if for some reason you have, get tested if you can. This is regardless of whether you know someone else in your group who develops COVID-19.
You likely don't know everyone in that crowd, and you don't know what their practices are. Up to half of all transmissions can be through people who have no symptoms, according to a June 2020 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Have a scheduled surgery or medical procedure
Actually, this could be out of your hands. Most facilities these days recommend testing for coronavirus before a procedure or surgery. Once you have a negative result, you can enter. The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation recommends that all patients have a test for SARS-CoV-2 prior to non-emergency surgery.
What to do while you wait for the test results?
Take refuge at home . Some test results will be available in 48 hours, but many take longer.
While you wait, you should isolate yourself and quarantine yourself . You also shouldn't visit high-risk people, even if it's just to deliver food. And it definitely means avoiding the crowds.
The test is only as good as your behavior. If you've had a test today and you're still out on the streets without wearing a mask, going into high-risk environments, you run the risk of actually getting infected later. Therefore, the results would not be an indication of your current state.
What types of COVID-19 tests are there?
The gold standard for detecting possible active COVID-19 infections is the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
PCR tests vary slightly, but all involve nasopharyngeal swabs, which means obtaining a sample from the area inside the nose and the back of the throat. Some collect samples from the inside of the nose. It is also the most uncomfortable as the swab takes a deep dive. Fortunately, it only lasts a couple of seconds.
The "turbinal medium swab" does not penetrate that far, but may not be as accurate. There are also new antigen tests to diagnose COVID-19. The tests look for proteins on the surface of the virus, but these antigen tests are not widely used.
Test results are only as good as the sample
Collecting samples is key to performing the test as long as your doctor is properly trained. Many testing sites require you to take your own sample, which could be a bit dodgy.
You probably won't be getting a deep smear. The same goes for home test kits. All samples go to a lab to get results. There are approved rapid result tests, but they are not widely available and it is unclear how accurate they are.
What about antibody tests?
Antibody tests are different from PCR diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2, and are not used to diagnose COVID-19.
Antibodies are produced when your body generates an antibody response to an infection. That means antibody tests tell you if you've had COVID-19 in the past, but not if you have a current infection. Antibodies can take one to three weeks to develop after you are infected.
