COVID-19 is an erratic and life-threatening disease that can affect anyone regardless of age and cause symptoms that lower your quality of life. Some people may not get any symptoms, while others may get sick for several months, and for some, the virus can be fatal. If you suspect you have been exposed to or experienced COVID-19 symptoms, seek a Covid-19 testing Southaven at Desoto Family Care Clinic.
When to consider COVID-19 testing
Coronavirus is a broad term for viruses that result in illnesses like severe acute respiratory syndrome(SARS). In 2019 a severe form of the virus called SARS-COV-2 that originated in China was seen to wipe out thousands of people. Many people only consider getting tested after experiencing the symptoms. Desoto Family Care Clinic recommends getting tested if you recently attended a high-risk event, visited a high-risk location, were exposed to an individual with the virus, or experience symptoms of COVID-19. If your school or work also requires you to provide your test results, you may need to get tested. Several factors can elevate your risk of getting infected, whether vaccinated, exposure period, how close you were to an infected individual, or if you wear a mask.
Signature symptoms of COVID-19
You may develop COVID-19 symptoms 14 days or less after exposure. The period before you begin showing signs is known as the incubation period. You can still pass the virus to those around during this period. Signature symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, fatigue, loss of smell or taste, sore throat, shortness of breath, headache, chest pain, vomiting, chills, tiredness, and muscle aches. Children may also manifest these symptoms but at a milder level. Some people may experience all the signs, others a few, and others none, but they can all infect other people. Some people may experience the symptoms more than four weeks after diagnosis. Older adults have a higher chance of developing a life-threatening disease from COVID-19—medical conditions like cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Different forms of COVID-19 testing
The Desoto Family Care Clinic team offers two forms of COVID-19 testing, including:
- Rapid COVID-19 test
Also known as an antigen test, a rapid test identifies the proteins from the SARS-CoV-2 virus- causing COVID-19. While this test provides results in a short period so that you can begin treatment immediately, it may not be as accurate as the PCR test. After exposure, it may take some time for the antigens to manifest, and if you get tested immediately, the test may come out negative even if you have the virus.
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test
The polymerase chain reaction test detects the genetic material from COVID-19, and if the result is positive, it means you have the virus. In some cases, this test may identify some traces of the infection even after treatment. PCR test is the most accurate COVID-19 testing even though it doesn’t deliver the results immediately.
For more information about COVID-19 testing, call the Desoto Family Care Clinic or book your spot online.
