Testing

I was pretty sick a few months ago, and it wasn’t the flu. Should I get an antibody test? An antibody test detects the level of antibodies against Covid 19 in your blood. The antibody test is limited in that we don’t know how long the antibodies last in a person’s body. It also won’t…

If I get a test and I test negative that means I’m fine, right? No, not necessarily. The Covid 19, like any other test, only tests for the current state, and means only active infections. You may have been exposed but not infected yet, which would result in a negative test, even though you could…

Is there a test to see if I had the virus before? Yes, there is a blood test that can show if a person has had Covid 19 in the past. Over time, this could help experts understand how many people were infected without knowing it. Experts are also using blood tests to study whether…

Should I get tested for Covid 19? Testing for Covid 19 tells us if someone has a current infection. It doesn’t tell us if a person has been recently exposed or has had the virus in the past. According to the CDC, not everyone needs to be tested, and there are criteria that doctors, states,…

Is there a test for the virus that causes Covid 19? Yes, there are tests to see if you have Covid 19. If your doctor or nurse suspects you have it , they might take a swab from inside your nose and have it tested. If you’re coughing up mucus, they might also test that…