After the outbreak of the novel coronavirus at the beginning of this year, governments all over the world have been fighting to slow down and eventually, stop this disease. To achieve this goal, it is indispensable to increase the number of tests, especially in the UK, where more than thirty-eight thousand people have lost their lives.
As the number of confirmed cases keeps rising, more centres like Coronavirus Test Clinic Leicester will be needed. Worldwide, tests are slowly becoming available, and more and more private and public laboratories are becoming certified. Scientists are working on expanding testing capabilities in the UK, offering more accurate tests.
As a result of this, COVID-19 tests are now being done in academic and commercial labs.
COVID-19 is caused by a new type of coronavirus that had not been identified. Despite some misconceptions, this virus is not the same as the common cold. People diagnosed with this new coronavirus will be cared for and evaluated in separate rooms and will have to perform different examinations.
Some of the symptoms to look out for include excessive cough, diarrhoea, fever or chills, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, shortness of breath, congestion, headache, difficulty in breathing, body aches, runny nose or loss of smell and taste. They normally appear in four or even two weeks after contracting the virus.
Coronavirus testing
Do you need to get tested?
The only one who can tell if you need to be tested for COVID-19 is your health provider or your local health department. They will guide you through the process once it is established that you need to get tested. In recent weeks, the number of positive cases has declined, which means that testing will become less challenging, and health officials will be able to control the spread through early isolation and contact tracing. This will require better and faster testing to reduce the possibilities of a second wave.
Who can be tested?
As each country has been handling the pandemic for the past months, more tests have become available and may even increase further on. However, this virus does not affect people in the same way, not everybody needs to get a test, mainly if they do not show any symptoms or have not been in close contact with infected people. At the moment, tests are mainly performed in hospitals and on symptomatic patients.
It is impossible to test large populations. The World Health Organization has highlighted the importance of prioritizing testing of more vulnerable individuals, such as health care employees, people that at least sixty-five years old, first responders, people with chronic diseases, social service workers, and people in contact with infected individuals. Besides, anyone working or residing in care home facilities should also be a high priority.
How is testing done?
The test involves introducing a swab in the cavity amid the mouth and nose for around fifteen seconds, rotating it numerous times and then repeating the same procedure on the next side to collect enough material. The swab will be sent to a laboratory for testing.
If you have been in direct contact with someone who tested positive for coronavirus or you live in a small community where it is hard to keep social distancing, call your health care provider immediately or visit your nearest Coronavirus Test Clinic in Leicester.
