How is the diagnosis of COVID-19 done in an ER near you? Most people would say via testing. This is correct. Express ER COVID testing is done in under 24 hours. You can always go there anytime for emergency covid testing near Abilene. If that’s the case, what is the purpose of COVID-19 screening at an emergency room near you? Let us find out.

Screening for COVID-19 involves asking a person series of questions to determine their risk for COVID-19. These questions include an account of the symptoms being experienced, recent travel history, and exposure to persons confirmed as infected. Screening also involves physical examination such as a temperature check. The answers provided to these questions help health professionals determine who will be tested and who won’t be. However, this occurs mainly in low-resource settings where testing kits are limited. Ideally, everyone should get tested. You will be screened before COVID testing in Abilene, TX.

Some members of a family may meet the requirements for testing while others in the same family do not. The supply of testing kits varies from location to location. Hence, only those with the highest risk must be tested. This is determined based on symptom severity and the presence of other high-risk factors. Today, people can conduct their COVID-19 test through an at-home test collection kit. Contact your healthcare provider to ascertain if this is right for you.

After Screening, What Next?

If you meet the criteria for COVID testing, you will be tested. If you don’t meet the criteria for testing despite showing some symptoms, then it’s recommended that you stay home and continue to follow the CDC prevention tips. This includes the use of facemasks, frequent handwashing, and covering coughs or sneezes. Do not share items like glasses, dishes, and others in the house. Clean high-touch surfaces like doorknobs and counters often. If symptoms get worse, contact your healthcare provider. If symptoms subside for three days, then you are free to resume social contact. These guidelines also apply to people who have been in contact with infected persons but show no symptoms.

What About Secondary Contacts?

Secondary contacts are people who have been in contact with people that were around someone diagnosed with COVID-19. When this happens, you should monitor your health for the symptoms of COVID-19. Provided there are no symptoms, you do not need to be screened. If symptoms develop, reach out to your healthcare provider.

How Is Testing Performed?

Many of us have a good idea of how these works have been done a few. The nasopharyngeal swab is the most common sample used for testing. Here, a special six-inch cotton swab is inserted into the nostrils and moved around for 15 seconds before it is sent to a lab for testing. Swabs of your mouth and throat(oropharyngeal) can be taken too. Saliva testing for COVID-19 is also possible.

The method is the quantitative reverse transcription PCR that identifies the virus RNA in the sample tested. With saliva, testing is modified but similar to nasal swabs.

Who Should Get Tested?

There is a priority system recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for who should get tested for COVID-19. The first set of people are those who have symptoms and are admitted to the hospital, work in a health care facility, or are first responders. The next set of people are those who show symptoms of COVID-19 and people deemed to be priorities by local health departments or doctors.

What Happens After Testing?

A positive test means you currently have or have previously had the virus. Self-monitoring is important. Get help at an ER near you if symptoms worsen. You need to avoid spreading the virus. We have discussed the CDC prevention tips earlier in the article. Do well to follow them properly. If you have a positive test with symptoms, self-isolate for at least 10 days until your symptoms subside. If you tested positive with no symptoms, self-isolate for ten days after the test too.

Go to an emergency room near you if you have trouble staying alert, feel pain or pressure in your chest, or a blue tint to your lips and face.