‘Press-Scrub-Rinse’
C-O-V-I-D, this 5 letter word has changed the world entirely. Digitalization has maximized to a level that could only be assumed. People are scared to death to get a COVID test positive report. Not surprising though, after all, it has controlled the whole world like a professional. Till COVID arrived, people were going nuts waiting for board exam results, now that COVID has welcomed itself, people have shifted their worry to COVID test results. A copious amount of COVID tests have taken place so far. Since everything is digitalized, COVID test results are no different. COVID test results are published online. Making it easier (scarier, too).
Commencement of COVID-19 tests in India
Jul 6, 2020. On March 18, virologist Minal Dakhave Bhosale and her collaborators offered India’s first native COVID-19 indicative test for validation by the National Institute of Virology.
Let’s See the Main Types of COVID Tests & COVID Test Results:
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The Rapid Antigen Test
Antigens are not the same as antibodies. It provides results in less time. Antigen tests deliver results rapidly and are more cost-effective; they can be useful for screening programs. Antigen tests often tend to produce false-negative test results.
Antigen Test Result Time
COVID test result time: 15 minutes
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RT-PCR Test/Molecular Test
There was a huge wave of people coming forward for this COVID test. Until last year, RT-PCR (Real-Time Reverse transcription-polymerase Chain Reaction) was not a known term for common people. But ever since the coronavirus waved a hi, the RT-PCR test for COVID-19 has become common knowledge. The screening is conducted through a nasal swab which is usually used for testing viruses and bacteria that cause respiratory diseases. The lab test is a real-time assessment to detect RNA from a person’s upper and lower respiratory specimens. Among the other tests of COVID, RT-PCR is considered efficient.
The most recognized COVID-19 testing method by the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is testing via RT-PCR.
RT-PCR Test Result Time
COVID test result time: Minimum 24 hours to 3 days
NOT ALL POSITIVES ARE POSITIVES!
COVID Inspection Result Positive?
If your COVID-19 test was accurate, it means the presence of COVID-19 in your nasal tissues. This means you are currently affected by COVID-19.
Once you hear the word positive, isolate yourself.
A minimum of 10 to 12 days is required if you test positive. You would have seen in newspapers and social media images of people struggling to breathe, outside hospitals without oxygen cylinders. While you would have also seen people in the neighbourhood who were fine even after testing positive for COVID. The reason for being so vulnerable to this illness is because of severely weakened immune systems. Get to know who all are at higher risk in the coronavirus 2nd wave. Patients with a weak immune system might need up to 20 days of isolation or more, as they require to be admitted to Intensive Care Units or their life might be in the hands of those oxygen cylinders. Always stay alert to your symptoms.
Since we talked about the COVID test results, POSITIVE.
Let’s know about COVID test results, NEGATIVE.
SOME NEGATIVES ARE POSITIVES!
COVID-19 Test Result Negative?
If your COVID-19 test result was negative, this result means that you are not currently affected by COVID-19.
But that doesn’t mean you won’t get affected. Following safety measures is the key. Washing hands, sanitising yourself at regular intervals, wearing a mask properly, avoiding unnecessary trips to the departmental store, etc.
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Antibody Test
Antibody testing is used in limited situations. Antibody measurement is not used to identify whether a person currently has COVID-19. It does not show the current results of the existence of the virus in your body, but it identifies viruses that once existed in your body. But these tests are not accurate, so it’s not widely preferred.
Antibody Test Result Time
COVID test result time: Two to three weeks
∆ Antibody Test Result: Negative
Antibody test results show negative when they don’t find the virus in your blood. It is clear that you don’t contain the COVID-19 virus. It’s been reported that COVID tests sometimes show false-negative results. This happens when the antibody test has been taken too early where the virus could not be detected.
∆ Antibody Test Result: Positive
Antibody test results show positive when there is a presence of the virus in your blood. COVID-19 antibody tests have a chance of giving false-positive results.
The Precautions for a Quick Read:
- Stick to your bed if you are sick.
- Keep in mind; press-scrub-rinse.
- You don’t need to hide when you see someone you know passing by, ask me how?
- Wear a mask covering your nose to chin properly.
- Social distancing is the key.
- Being messy is not good in the long run.
Have a chit chat with your body.
See if it reveals the secrets of COVID-19.
If it does, immediately gossip about it with a nearby hospital or on a helpline number.
COVID-19 has brought about a lot of changes in this world. A caged feeling with immense suffering and hardship, both physically and mentally. If at all you feel any symptoms related to COVID-19, don’t worry about what the test result would be, rather focus on curing it. Keep in mind that not all negatives are negative, some negatives are positive!
