COVID-19, a disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, was first detected in the last months of 2019. Since 2020, COVID-19 cases have appeared around the world. Now, in 2022, new variants of the virus like delta and omicron mean that COVID-19 testing remains an essential part of your protection and prevention toolkit.
At Living Water Community Health and Wellness Clinic, aka Living Water Clinic, our team has been with you throughout the pandemic, providing expert family medicine treatment, telehealth support, and COVID-19 testing from locations in Porterville, Lindsay, and Visalia, California. Visit our walk-in clinic today for accurate and convenient COVID-19 testing.
Multiple types of testing can detect current or past COVID-19 infection. Antibody tests determine if you’ve had COVID-19 in the past. Diagnostic tests look for current COVID-19 infection. There are two main types of diagnostic testing used to check for COVID-19 cases: antigen testing and molecular testing.
Antigen tests are sometimes called rapid tests, and can be processed anywhere, including at your home. Test results take about 15 minutes with an antigen test.
Molecular COVID-19 testing, also known as PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing, is the most accurate way to determine if you have a current COVID-19 infection. Molecular testing is more sensitive and accurate, and isn’t as likely to return a false-negative result as antigen testing. When you need to know for sure if you could have COVID-19, molecular testing is your best bet.
Molecular testing detects COVID-19 viruses in your system by looking for tell-tale genetic material from the virus. To conduct your test, your provider at Living Water Clinic first collects a sample, typically using a swab inside both your nostrils. State-of-the-art equipment looks for any genetic material from the virus in your sample.
Molecular testing is a great way to be sure that the virus that causes COVID-19 isn’t currently present in your system. From just a small sample, we can test with a high degree of confidence and accuracy, and the process we use for the rapid molecular testing can detect a positive result in as quickly as five minutes or report a negative result in less than 15 minutes.
Get tested for COVID-19 if you notice potential symptoms like sore throat, fever, body aches, or loss of taste or smell. You also should get tested if you’ve been in close contact — defined as within 6 feet for longer than 15 minutes — with someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting tested for COVID-19 as needed even if you’ve been fully vaccinated. Testing can make it safer to meet family, travel, or attend events. You may also need to get tested for screening programs at work or at school.
To learn more about COVID-19 testing options available to you, contact Living Water Community Health and Wellness Clinic today. Schedule an appointment over the phone or online, or walk in during our open hours for assistance and treatment.
