5 things to know about the need for ongoing COVID-19 testing
While COVID-19 cases and positivity rates have been declining in Illinois as more residents get vaccinated, there’s also been a drop in coronavirus testing in the state as well as across the country, compared with peak testing months in late fall and winter.
But medical experts say testing still plays a critical role in trying to control the virus. Testing can keep track of where the virus is spreading and can help public health officials contact trace and notify others who might have been exposed, as well as monitor coronavirus variants as they emerge and spread.
As Illinois begins to reopen, here are five things to know about the ongoing need for coronavirus testing.
1. What kinds of coronavirus tests are available? There are two main types of COVID-19 tests: diagnostic tests that detect the presence of the virus in a sample when there’s an active infection and antibody tests, also known as serology tests, which search a blood sample for proteins called antibodies that indicate a previous infection. Diagnostic tests include PCR tests, where a sample from a nasal swab or saliva specimen is processed by a lab so any trace amount of the virus is amplified and detected. Another form of diagnostic testing is antigen testing, also known as a rapid diagnostic test, which detects specific proteins on the surface of the virus.
2. Which test is “best”? There are benefits and drawbacks to each form of testing: For example, antigen testing might take as little as 15 minutes to get a result, whereas PCR testing can take days depending on the testing location and laboratory processing the sample. Saliva tests are often touted for requiring less contact between the provider and sample than tests that require a nasal swab, potentially limiting spread of the virus. Antibody tests are useful for testing for previous infections but shouldn’t be used to diagnose an active infection.
3. Where is COVID-19 testing available? The Illinois Department of Public Health has a list of all community-based testing sites statewide, which are open to anyone regardless of symptoms. The Food & Drug Administration has also authorized several at-home tests, self-collection kits that can be taken at home with rapid results, available by prescription or over the counter; some require a nasal sample and others use a saliva sample, some are PCR tests and others are antigen tests.
After self-testing, always review results with a health care provider, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Your health care provider will consider the test result together with your symptoms and possible exposure in deciding how to care for you,” the CDC says on its website.
4. Who should get tested? Those with symptoms of COVID-19, those who have had close contact with another person who had a confirmed case of COVID-19, individuals who have been referred to testing by a health care provider, and people who have been exposed to large crowds or poorly ventilated areas who could not physically distance should seek coronavirus testing, according to the CDC.
5. What about people who are fully vaccinated? Fully vaccinated individuals with no COVID-19 symptoms don’t need to be tested following an exposure to someone with the virus, the CDC says. Those with symptoms should still get tested, even if fully vaccinated.
“CDC recommends that anyone with any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 get tested, regardless of vaccination status or prior infection,” the agency’s website states. “If you get tested because you have symptoms or were potentially exposed to the virus, you should stay away from others pending test results and follow the advice of your health care provider or a public health professional.”
