If you recently interacted with a COVID-19 patient or have symptoms of the virus, it is crucial to get tested. ST Michael’s Elite Hospital offers Sugar Land Covid test to detect the virus and increase the chances of treatment success. The practice uses an FDA-certified onsite lab to ensure you receive accurate results quickly.
An overview of the COVID-19 test
The team at St. Michael’s Elite Hospital, if you have been in contact with a COVID-19 patient or are currently infected with the coronavirus. They offer two forms of COVID-19 tests, including:
- COVID-19 antigen test
The COVID-19 antigen test detects an active COVID-19 infection. During the test, your provider collects secretions from the back of your throat and nose and sends them to the lab. This test provides results within 15 minutes.
- COVID-19 antibody test
The COVID-19 antibody test determines whether or not you have COVID-19. The test detects COVID-19 antibodies, which often appear after weeks of infection.
The team may recommend a COVID-19 test for symptoms like shortness of breath, tiredness, fever, or cough. You may also need a COVID-19 test if you’re not fully vaccinated, for screening purposes, or if you have a medium to high community risk level.
Risks associated with COVID-19
COVID-19 tests are not 100% accurate, and there is a chance of getting a false negative result, which means the test didn’t detect the virus. If you already have the symptoms, there is a higher risk of spreading the virus to those around you if you don’t follow the COVID-19 safety precautions, such as wearing a mask. A COVID-19 rapid antigen test can also provide false-positive results, meaning that the test detects an infection even though you’re healthy. The risk of false-positive or false-negative results relies on the sensitivity and type of the chosen COVID-19 diagnostic test, the lab analysis’s accuracy, and the thoroughness of sample collection. The market is currently flooded with numerous tests, some of which still need to be FDA-approved. You can trust the St. Michael’s Elite Hospital team to use safe and effective diagnostic tests to provide accurate results.
Preparing for a COVID-19 test
If you suspect you have COVID-19, whether you have symptoms or not, wear a face mask ad visit the nearest hospital to get tested. Also, you can call the St. Michael’s Elite Hospital team to review your symptoms and enquire about the tests before going in. The call helps the specialists prepare you for a visit by suggesting the appropriate personal protective equipment. If you’ve come into contact with an infected person or have COVID-19 symptoms, follow the testing protocol of your provider. Medical experts recommend getting tested after at least five days of coming into contact with a COVID-19 victim. The test may not detect the virus if you get tested too soon. You can consult the team if you have not interacted with a COVID-19 patient but still want to get tested.
To learn more about COVID-19 testing, call the St. Michael’s Elite Hospital office or book your spot online.
