COVID-19 Testing Clinic in Bradenton FL
Do you have a fever, a cough, trouble breathing, exhaustion, bodily aches, or a loss of taste or smell? Visit PrimeHealth Primary Care to receive a rapid covid-19 test. For more information, please contact us or request an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 3014 53rd Ave East, Bradenton, FL 34203. We are currently accepting new patients.
Table of Contents:
How are people tested for COVID-19?
What is the difference between the types of tests available for COVID-19?
What does a COVID-19 test detect?
How do COVID-19 tests work?
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused a fair amount of fear and misinformation, but one implementation that has evolved from the virus is the need for multiple kinds of tests. Tests, which have been prevalent and required for traveling or attending functions, often provide peace of mind when visiting loved ones. While rapid antigen tests are considerably convenient, it is also important that you have access to a medical care clinic that provides PCR tests for more accuracy when it comes to results, depending on your profession and your potential exposure to at-risk populations. Both types have proven to be helpful and necessary during the management of COVID-19, but it is recommended that you are aware of both options and understand the differences in order to choose which one works better for you.
The two kinds of tests that have been used to test whether someone has contracted COVID-19 are respiratory tests (PCR tests) and take-home tests (rapid antigen tests). Respiratory tests are only available through testing sites and are administered by a health care professional. They are swabs that are used to check the back of the throat or in the nostril to collect a sample from the nasopharyngeal site. Those swabs are taken to a lab for processing before the results can be sent back to the patient.
Take-home tests, also known as rapid tests, are much more convenient, as anyone who is concerned that they may have COVID-19 can pick up the tests and perform them in the comfort of their own home. These tests come with clear and easy-to-follow instructions, involving only inserting a sterile swab into the nostril about half an inch. and provide results within 15 minutes.
While the method of testing between PCR tests and rapid antigen tests is fairly similar, rapid antigen tests are often considered to be less invasive than PCR tests. As well, the PCR test is able to detect small amounts of the virus to determine if someone has COVID-19 even if they are not showing any symptoms, unlike the rapid antigen test, which makes the PCR test much more reliable. The antigen test is more likely to provide a false negative result. However, rapid antigen tests are much easier to access and are less invasive, which means that much more of the population is able to take them with ease. The antigen tests require much less time between taking the test and receiving results and do not require scheduling an appointment or going to a testing center and waiting anywhere, which means they take much less time out of your day to administer and are thus more efficient.
Both kinds of tests detect if the user contains the virus at all in their respiratory system through specimens provided from your nose or mouth. PCR tests are able to assess if you contain any traces of the virus, including if you are not exhibiting any symptoms, whereas the rapid antigen tests detect certain proteins that are in the virus, but it is less accurate for detecting small traces of the virus than a PCR test.
COVID-19 tests detect current infections with SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19. The sterile testing swabs are rubbed against cavities in the patient’s nostrils or the back of their mouth to collect specimens from their respiratory system. Antigen-based tests will look for a specific protein that is carried in the virus within the specimen that was collected, and PCR tests check the genetic material of the specimen to see if it contains genetic material that is found in the virus. The PCR test is able to use essentially what is an example genetic material and compares the genetic material of the specimen being tested to see if they match.
Covid-19 tests are available at PrimeHealth Primary Care in Bradenton FL. For more information, contact us or book an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 3014 53rd Ave East, Bradenton, FL 34203. We serve patients from Bradenton FL, Ellenton FL, Palmetto FL, Rubonia FL, Foxleigh FL, West Samoset FL, and surrounding areas.