Symptoms that look like a common cold can actually be milder symptoms of COVID-19. If you have COVID-19, you can become a source of infection for the people you come in contact with.
If you want to know your COVID-19 status, you can opt for in-house rapid molecular COVID testing.
What is in-house antigen COVID testing?
In-house antigen COVID testing is a diagnostic test that is used to detect specific proteins (antigens) of the coronavirus in a specific concentration to identify individuals suffering from COVID-19.
When a specific antigen is present in a sample, it will bind to specific antibodies on a paper strip. A positive signal will be generated within 10 minutes if a specific antigen concentration is present in the sample.
The in-house antigen COVID test is available at AfterOurs Urgent Care.
Test purpose
The purpose of in-house antigen COVID testing is to rapidly detect COVID-19 illness. This information will help guide treatment as well as self-isolation or quarantine decisions.
Significance of in-house antigen COVID test
The benefits of this test are:
- Convenience of use
- Easy to perform
- Results within 10 minutes
Procedure
In house antigen testing consists of the following steps:
- During the first step, a sample is taken from the nose with a cotton swab
- This sample is mixed with a liquid called a reagent and placed in a tube with a test strip
- After 10 minutes the test strip will show a positive or negative result.
Test results
The in-house antigen COVID test results can be positive, negative, false positive, or false negative.
Positive result:
If a positive line appears on the test strip, it is likely you have COVID-19. A medical provider can help determine whether further confirmation is needed based on your history and symptoms.
Negative result:
If no positive line appears on the test strip, it is unlikely that you have COVID-19. Again, a medical provider will work with you to see whether further confirmation is needed.
False-positive and false-negative results:
A false-positive is when diagnostic tests show positive results but, in reality, a person is not suffering from disease. Similarly, a false-negative is when a person does suffer from active disease, but the diagnostic test shows negative results. False-positives and false-negatives are rare. A qualified medical practitioner can help determine whether a false positive or negative has occurred.
Contact us
In case of urgent medical care assistance, AfterOurs Urgent Care offers immediate telemedicine services, where medical providers are available to offer assistance. Anyone who experiences signs and symptoms requiring urgent medical attention can simply book their appointment with AfterOurs Urgent Care to directly talk to an expert. If your medical issue is not appropriate for telemedicine, we will let you know and refer you to an in-person facility.
When to visit a doctor:
Whenever you notice symptoms of COVID-19 such as sore throat, cough, loss of taste or smell, or fever, you should get tested to rule out infection. This will help guide treatment and reduce the spread of the disease.
In-house antigen COVID testing service is available at AfterOurs Urgent Care.