COVID-19 Testing for Symptoms or Exposure

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Here’s what to look for if you think you might have COVID-19:

COVID-19 is a respiratory condition caused by a coronavirus. Some people are infected but don’t notice any symptoms. While some people will have symptoms such as cough, sore throat and nasal congestion and get better on their own, others have more severe symptoms such as trouble breathing, low grade fever, body aches and fatigue resemble influenza. 

Symptoms typically occur 7-10 days from the initial exposure to an infected person. The odds of more serious symptoms are higher if you’re older or have another health condition like diabetes or heart disease. These symptoms are related to the immune system’s response to fight the virus. Symptoms, their severity and duration are highly variable from person to person.

What should you do if you think you have COVID-19 symptoms? 

If you think you have symptoms of COVID-19, it’s important to take the following steps:

• Stay home. By staying home, you can help prevent spreading the virus to others in your community. Plan to only go out if you need to seek medical care.
• Separate yourself from others. If you share your home with others, distance yourself from them as much as possible. Try to use a bedroom and bathroom that’s separate from the rest of your household.
• Call your doctor. It’s important to let your doctor or healthcare provider know about your symptoms. They may ask you questions about when and how you may have been exposed. Try to answer these to the best of your ability.
• Follow your doctor’s instructions. Your doctor will give you instructions on how to care for yourself while you’re ill. They may also arrange for you to be tested for COVID-19 if you haven’t been tested already.
• Monitor your symptoms. Keep track of your symptoms and if they begin to worsen, don’t hesitate to get medical attention. Plan to call ahead before you arrive at your doctor’s office, an urgent care facility, or an emergency room.

How long after exposure should I test?

In the first few days after exposure to an infected individual called the “incubation period”, the virus may be undetectable by even the most sensitive of RT-PCR tests. During the incubation period, you are infected, but the virus hasn’t proliferated enough to be detectable. If you test too soon after exposure, you might get a false negative result.  Our staff will let you know if you have tested too early and ask you to come back and re-test. We recommend coming to test at least 5 days after exposure. 

Do you accept children for RT-PCR Tests?

We can accept infants, children and adults for our test. Our nurses are experienced and can administer nasal as well as oral swab tests for infants and children.

What if my test comes back Positive or Inconclusive?

Please note that our RT-PCR tests are very sensitive and can intermittently detect virus for weeks/months even after the active infection period (10-14 days) has passed. In the case of a positive report, we will call you immediately to consult you about your result and advise on the latest CDC guidelines, before releasing the report. 

With the prevalence of COVID-19 infection in the community, you might test positive, or “inconclusive” for virus.  When this happens, we will call you immediately to relay our findings and obtain more information about your situation. Based on your history we may recommend repeat testing to ensure you are not contagious.