When Should I Take a COVID 19 Test?
COVID 19 tests are a key part of diagnosing and preventing the spread of the virus. If you want to know more about using a COVID 19 test kit, here’s how you can decide if you need to take a test.
Onset of Symptoms
One thing to consider when it comes to COVID 19 test kits is the typical onset time of COVID symptoms. According to the FDA, people may start showing signs and symptoms of COVID 19 anywhere from two to 14 days after they were initially infected. Generally speaking, you don’t want to test for COVID 19 too early because an at-home test kit might not detect COVID early on. As a rule of thumb, you should until it’s been about five days since you were potentially exposed to COVID. That being said, you should test immediately if you’re currently experiencing symptoms.
How Accurate Are COVID 19 Tests?
You might be wondering how accurate these COVID 19 tests are in the first place. The biggest thing to remember is that the accuracy of COVID tests depends largely on the type of test you’re taking. An at-home COVID 19 test isn’t going to offer the same accuracy as PCR testing you have done at a clinic. That being said, at-home tests are still more accurate than not, so you should keep a COVID 19 test kit or two on hand.
How Long Do COVID Tests Last?
Like most things, COVID 19 test kits don’t last forever. While it’s a smart idea to keep a COVID 19 test kit or two at home, you need to replace those tests if you don’t use them before they expire. Generally speaking, you can expect a COVID 19 test kit to last for about four to six months. If you have COVID test kits in your home that are several months (or more than a year) old, check the expiration date and toss them if they’re bad. Expired COVID test kits may not be accurate, so keeping fresh tests around is crucial.
If you think you’ve been exposed to COVID 19 recently or you’re currently experiencing signs and symptoms, consider taking a COVID 19 test. Testing for COVID can help you get a diagnosis early on so that way you can avoid spreading COVID to family, friends, and coworkers. Check out the COVID 19 test kits at Sky Medical to learn more.
