OMG I am COVID positive!
No, I am not COVID Positive, but I wanted to get your attention to discuss the different types of COVID-19 testing out there for the instances where you may have been exposed. There are two types of COVID testing: Diagnostic and Antibody.
Diagnostic Testing: The ONLY test that determines an ACTIVE infection in a patient. There are two types of test that fall into this category:
- Antigen Test: They are taken with a nasal or throat swab and detect a protein that is part of the coronavirus. These tests are particularly useful for identifying a person who is at or near peak infection.
- PCR/Molecular Testing: This is a molecular test, performed by throat or nasal swab, that detect tiny aspect of Covid molecules indicating active infection. This is the most popular form of RAPID testing currently. The advantage of the PCR test is that it can pick up molecules during the very early stages of active infection.
Antibody Testing: These DO NOT measure active infection, but measure antibodies found in the blood that would indicate the body is having an immune response to COVID. These antibody test will detect if there was a previous exposure to the SaRs-Cov2 virus.
True Care Hospice has access to all the above testing formats for all our patients and staff. Please, stay safe everyone.