COVID-19 testing has been an essential preventative health measure for the last two years. Even though effective vaccines have been developed to prevent serious illnesses from the coronavirus, people can still spread this respiratory disease to others who may not be vaccinated. That is why it is critical to get tested for COVID-19 when planning to be around many people at a job, event, or family gathering. Contact our professional staff at (858) 255-8325 to schedule an appointment for a COVID-19 test or if you have any questions.
Are you wondering what kind of COVID-19 test you should get in La Jolla? There are at least three different types of COVID-19 tests available. Let’s break down what they are below.
Learn More About COVID-19 Testing in La Jolla, CA
Antibody COVID-19 Testing
Doctor holding a Positive Result for COVID-19 with test kit for viral disease COVID-19 2019-nCoV. Lab card kit test for coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 virus. Fast test COVID-19.
Have you had COVID-19 in the past? Are you unsure if you’ve had COVID-19 already? An antibody test is a special blood test to detect COVID-19 antibodies in the blood. If the blood test shows your bloodstream has COVID-19 antibodies, it signifies that your immune system has already developed antibodies to fight a previous COVID-19 infection. However, an antibody test cannot diagnose whether you’re currently infected with COVID-19. But, it can help determine whether your body is strong enough to resist COVID-19 if you get re-infected. Of course, you should try taking every precaution imaginable to prevent reinfection because there are no guarantees of how well your antibodies will respond to the virus.
Molecular COVID-19 Testing
Molecular testing is the most accurate COVID-19 test to determine whether someone has contracted the virus. A doctor or nurse will insert a swab deep inside your nose to take a mucus sample from you. After that, the swabbed mucus gets sent to a laboratory where technicians can examine the mucus more closely to see if it contains genetic material from COVID-19.
The upside of a molecular test is the accuracy. The downside is that you have to wait longer for the test results because the swab has to get sent to a laboratory. So if you’re not in a hurry to know whether you have COVID-19, molecular tests like RNA and PCR tests are the best for you.
Antigen COVID-19 Testing
Antigen testing is the fastest COVID-19 test you can get. These tests are usually offered in drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites and allow you to get the results back within 15 to 30 minutes. A mucus sample still gets taken from your nose, but it isn’t sent to a laboratory like a molecular test. Instead, on-site technicians quickly examine the mucus for signs of COVID-19 antigens.
The upside to antigen testing is that it can accurately detect COVID-19 antigens when they’re in your system. The downside is that you may need to wait five days after getting infected for your system to show signs of COVID-19 antigens. Therefore, it is possible to be infected with COVID-19 and still have the antigen test results returned negative.
Contact Us For COVID-19 Testing in La Jolla, CA
Do you have questions about the various COVID-19 testing options and their level of accuracy? Do you need to schedule a COVID-19 test in La Jolla? If so, Urgent Care La Jolla can help.
Urgent Care La Jolla offers all three COVID-19 tests at our La Jolla facility. Contact our professional staff at (858) 255-8325 to schedule an appointment for a COVID-19 test or if you have any questions.
