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An easy way to know if you have the
coronavirus
infection or not
is to go to the
pharmacy
for a
test
.
But, beware!
If you suffer symptoms related to Covid, it is better to call the health center
and consult a doctor.
In the absence of signs and to avoid becoming a 'silent' contagion, undergoing this test before attending a social event is a good option.
What are the coronavirus detection tests available in pharmacies?
In
pharmacies
you can undergo the prescription tests performed by pharmacists and, in addition, you can buy
self-diagnostic tests
.
What are the pharmacy tests for and what do they detect?
The
tests practiced by the pharmacist
are
rapid tests whose result is obtained in 15 minutes,
but they are always done
under medical prescription.
PRACTICAL DATA ON COVID-19 SELF-DIAGNOSTIC TESTS
Drop down
When should we use the tests?
Whenever we have symptoms, when the viral load is more evident, and during the first seven days after possible infection.
How are they done?
In general, the sample can be taken by the user himself in a simple way, only by rubbing the front part of the nose with the swab.
In any case, and even if it is obvious, carefully following the manufacturer's instructions.
How long does it take to give the results?
15 minutes, like the "traditional" antigen test.
When is it positive?
When the two lines appear: the test line (T) and the control line (C).
When is it negative?
When only the control line (C) appears.
Important!
If no line appears or only the T line, the test is invalid and it is advised to repeat it.
How much they cost?
The price is between 6 and 10 euros, although it is foreseeable that over time it will be lower.
In Germany they are already sold for less than one euro.
What should I look for on the labeling?
If we want to buy a test with guarantees, we must know that self-diagnostic tests without a prescription have to carry the CE marking with the four digits below.
Where are they acquired?
In Spain this test is only marketed in pharmacies.
In other European countries they are even sold in supermarkets, but in this way, in addition to reaching the whole country thanks to the network of pharmacies, citizens have
the added value of the pharmaceutical council
.
Pedagogy, insisting that all positive cases must be confirmed with the doctor, is essential.
Both types of tests are used to find out if the coronavirus is being carried at that time and if it is contagious
.
If your result is negative, it loses validity after 24 hours because you may have infected one later or be at the beginning of the infection with a minimal viral load.
They can be done whether or not symptoms are present.
Studies show that
within the first four days of the disease there is a higher viral load
, making it easier to detect via the nose.
PRACTICAL DATA ON HOW A TEST WITH A MEDICAL PRESCRIPTION IS PERFORMED AT THE PHARMACY
Drop down
How are they made?
With a couple of drops of blood.
A small prick on the fingertip will be more than enough to make them sprout.
They will then be deposited in a plastic cassette (the test itself) along with a few drops of the reagent included in the box.
In just ten minutes we will be able to see the result by interpreting some lines
that will appear drawn on the cassette itself, without the need to send the test or sample to any laboratory.
Are they useful to know if I have the virus?
No. These tests are
not used to detect the presence of the virus, but rather the response of our body to it
.
They allow detecting the presence of antibodies, defenses that our body has generated to deal with the virus.
To know if we have the virus or not, we should do either a PCR test (which detects genetic material of the virus) or an antigen test (which detects virus proteins).
What exactly do they detect?
These tests look for the
presence (or not) of two types of antibodies
in our blood
: IgG and IgM
.
-
IgM antibodies are the first
that our body generates in response to a virus contagion, and they appear between 5 and 8 days after said contagion.
-
IgG antibodies
, on the other hand, appear in the blood approximately
from day 10 or 15 after contact
with an infected person.
After performing the test, the test will tell us if we are positive for IgG, IgM, both or neither.
What happens if the self-diagnostic pharmacy tests positive?
In case of being
positive, one has to contact his doctor and follow the established protocol
.
In no case, the result of the self-diagnostic tests over the counter in pharmacies has official informational value and is not useful for traveling.
You must quarantine for at least 10 days and
observe any mild symptoms
that are suffered related to the disease: headaches, fever, sore throat, respiratory failure, loss of smell ...
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
Know more
Science and Health
Covid 19
Coronavirus
Pharmacology
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