What Covid Test Do I Need?

Yesterday I went for my 4th Covid test after some friends coming down with it. Luckily I feel fine and tested negative. This morning after posting a picture of the testing line on Anti-Social Media and reading the HUNDREDS of comments on which is the BEST test it’s time to clarify all of this. First of all a shout out to the U.S. Army personnel for running an unbelievably efficient test sites around Florida. I had my results literally in 20 minutes despite there being hundreds on the line! What’a appalling to me is the fact that the government AND medical community have done a TERRIBLE job of educating the average person HOW, WHERE, WHEN and WHAT test to go and get done! Florida has done a better job than most, but in NJ it is literally impossible to figure out where it’s even possible to get tested. They refer you to the CVS website!!!

So let’s clear this up. First a little SCIENCE……Joe would like this part if he could remember it. FIRST you get exposed to Covid droplets and they end up on the inside of your nose and respiratory system where they invade cells and make them produce viral proteins. Your immune system has special cells that create your immune system. Initially these cells are non-specific but then your immune system begins to create a string of anti-bodies called “immune globulins” They come in a variety of shapes and sizes but let’s keep this simple. The first ones made are called IgG and as you progress through the disease IgM later. These immune globulins are your IMMUNITY after the disease symptoms have gone. We still don’t know how long they “hang around” with Covid and you CAN get Covid a second time a few to 6 months after. A vaccine on the other hand hopefully confers a much longer immunity in theory.

What test do you need? Here we go……There are 2 types of tests……Diagnostic tests and Antibody tests. This information is from an FDA website and the link is below.

A diagnostic test can show if you have an ACTIVE infection meaning you are sick and CONTAGIOUS. It can give you information about whether you need to quarantine and isolate from others so you don’t get them sick.
There are 2 types of Diagnostic tests: First there are “molecular“tests called PCR which detects the Covid GENETIC MATERIAL. Then there are “antigen” tests which detect those proteins from the Covid.
Antigen tests are the RAPID TEST where they do a nasal swab. Results can be nearly immediate and you will usually know within minutes to an hour depending on how many tests are being processed. Positive results are usually highly accurate, but false positives can happen, especially in areas where very few people have the virus. Negative results may need to be confirmed with a molecular test. This test detects ACTIVE COVID INFECTION, but NOT if you have had Covid in the past. Get a molecular/PCR test if your antigen test shows a negative result but you have symptoms of COVID-19.
Molecular/ PCR tests are either a nasal swab or a saliva test. Technically you could get results the same day, but often it takes several days as the test is sent to a lab. This test is typically highly accurate and usually does not need to be repeated. This test detects ACTIVE COVID INFECTION
It can NOT tell you if you have had Covid in the PAST.

Next we have Antibody tests

Antibody tests look for those immune globulins , IgM and IgG that your immune system is making to battle the Covid.
Antibodies can take several days or weeks to develop after you have an infection and are variable in how long they “stay around”
Antibody tests should NOT be used to diagnose COVID
Antibody tests require a BLOOD SAMPLE that is sent to a lab and take from days to a week to get results.
The test results tell you if you had Covid IN THE PAST. It is NOT used to diagnose COVID at the time of the test or show that you do not have COVID.

Let’s now decide WHICH test you should go get done.

You were exposed to someone who HAS Covid: You should get tested IMMEDIATELY if you have symptoms. Get an ANTIGEN test where you’ll get the results quickly and it’s very accurate. If you have NO symptoms the incubation time averages 5 days….so you may want to wait a 5-7 days after exposure and get either an ANTIGEN test if you need to know immediately or a PCR/molecular test for greater accuracy. If you HAVE symptoms and a negative ANTIGEN test, repeat with a PCR/molecular test.
You had vague symptoms in the past and want to know if you had Covid at some time: Get an antibody test done at a lab that can take a blood sample. If you test positive for antibodies you are immune but we don’t know for how long and you should STILL get the vaccine.

Hopefully you’ll find this helpful. Stay safe. We’ve been at this 10 months now so don’t lose your vigilance and consider when you are eligible. These are references you may want to look at: