RT PCR: THE ULTIMATE COVID TEST
If paranoia has been gripping you by the collar every time you step out of the house off late, if the sanitizer is now your best friend and if you have a spare mask in your carry on at all times, fear not, for you are not alone. The novel Coronavirus that took the world discolouration of fingers or toes by storm is most likely here to stay. In these testing times, it’s better to stay safe than sorry and practise social distancing and other safety measures at all times.
The most common symptoms of COVID include Fever, Dry Cough, Tiredness, body ache, joint pain, sore throat, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis, headache, loss of taste or smell, Skin rashes, discolouration of fingers or toes, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, chest pain or pressure and loss of speech or movement. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, make sure to isolate yourself at home to avoid unnecessary exposure. While people with mild symptoms who are otherwise healthy will be able to manage their symptoms at home, it takes 5–6 days from when someone is infected with the virus for symptoms to show, however it can take up to 14 days. individuals over the age of 60 and with underlying health complications, such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, heart problems, etc. are at higher risk of developing severe symptoms of COVID-19, if infected.
You can always take it one step further and get an at home COVID test done. The at home COVID test, known as the RT PCR test is a nasal/ oral swab test in which a lab representative uses a sterile swab to collect the contents from inside your throat or nose. This sample is then tested for the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus. It is a highly accurate and reliable method that helps detect an active coronavirus infection.
If your RT PCR Test result comes back positive, this implies that you have the COVID-19 infection.Ensure to quarantine yourself at home until the subsequent tests come back negative. Alternatively you could also contact a COVID Care Facility nearby and seek assistance. More importantly, ensure to contact your family doctor to seek expert opinion on medications you need to take, dietary changes, and the course of recovery.
A common misunderstanding amongst lehmen is that an antibody test will suffice to detect an active strain of the COVID-19 infection. This could not be farther from the truth since the antibody test is only used to check for antibodies that an individual may or may not have developed for the infection. The antibody test is not used for diagnostic purposes, unlike the RT PCR test.
