The effects of the coronavirus rocked the world in an indescribable way back in 2020. Its impact was so great that even now, nearly two years later, it’s safe to say that the global community is yet to fully recover.
What’s more, while we might all like to think that the worst is behind us (after all, we haven’t heard any earth-shattering news about the pandemic in recent times, right?), this may not necessarily be true.
While somewhat subdued, the effects of variants of this pandemic are no less profound. This raises the pivotal question;
What can be done?
At the moment, major health bodies like the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommend that people take measures like getting the vaccine and prioritize at-home testing.
This brings us to the bone of the matter today.
With major self-testing kits like Healgen covid test taking the center stage, everything might seem overwhelming at the moment. To help you get your bearings, we’ve highlighted several things you should always keep in mind when self-testing.
1. Timing of the Test
As we were quick to mention, much of the craze of the pandemic has died down, especially in light of so many other global events transpiring. The fact that the vaccination efforts have been largely successful has also contributed to this.
All of that being said, it’s easy to see how a person might feel lax about taking a test when they have a slight cold or some trouble breathing. You’re probably wondering, what are the chances it’s COVID, right?
Well, no matter how slim it might be, don’t risk it!
Make sure you’re very quick to test yourself at the first sign of any symptoms, even if you’re fully vaccinated!
2. The Type of Test
At the moment, all COVID at-home testing kits are classified into one of two groups. They are either polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests or antigen tests. The former isn’t as common as the latter largely because it is often considerably more expensive.
However, PCR tests compensate for this fact by being a lot more accurate than antigen tests. This is because they are often able to detect the presence of the virus in the body, even when it is at very minimal concentrations.
Having established this, antigen tests are fully reliable in their own right as they give you highly accurate positive results as well.
3. The Interpretation of the Test Results
As you’re likely already aware, it’s one thing to take the test, it is another thing entirely to get an accurate interpretation of the test that you just subjected yourself or your loved ones to.
Down this road, there are two basic things to keep in mind;
When You Get a Positive Result: Regardless of which type of test you use, there’s a high chance that you’ve indeed contracted the virus.
When You Get a Negative Result: Depending on the type of test you use, such results are only accurate for up to 12 hours at the most.
So that’s it!
Make sure you keep these variables in mind and continue to stay safe!
