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Covid 19 Testing

To overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and save our communities, UCF Clinic offers COVID-19 testing services on a large scale. It helped to improve access to COVID-19 testing, addressing social determinants of health, responding to patient queries, and helping them to get vaccinated. To increase our reach among the masses, we introduced testing services during the weekends and public holidays, from morning till late evenings. It enabled communities to get early screening, avail telehealth services and adopt remedial measures well in time.

UCF is offering the diagnostic tests as well as the antibody test for COVID-19. The diagnostic tests for COVID-19 are the RT-PCR and the rapid antigen tests. The antibody test helps to determine the stage of the infection.

RT-PCR test is the standard test for diagnosing the COVID-19 infection as its result is very accurate. This test is also mandatory for

  • Travel
  • Before having a surgery

Moreover, we offer the following services

  • Urgent testing for the RT-PCR test with results in only 1-3 hours.
  • Expedited results for the RT-PCR test for travel purposes. Results are provided before/after midnight.
  • Results of the rapid antigen test and the antibody test are available in 15-30 minutes only.

 

We welcome any queries about our services. If you have any questions, please reach out to us via our helpline, or check the FAQs section. 

To avail our COVID-19 testing services, please fill in the below form to request an appointment. You may call us at 281-853-5555.

The antibody test is not used for diagnosing COVID-19 because the body’s immune system takes 1 to 3 weeks to make antibodies after the onset of infection. So, the antibodies may not show in blood, even in case of an active COVID-19 infection.

You only need to present your state ID/driver’s license/ passport/insurance card or any proof of identity, if you have it, at the testing site. Wearing a safety mask for protection against COVID-19 is also mandatory.

We have the appointment form available on our services page for COVID-19 testing (www.labwork360.com). You only need to fill in this short form online. Soon after your submission, our staff will contact you to verify the date and time of your appointment. You only need to visit your nearest UCF testing facility along with your state ID for verification.

Yes, we can visit your business or community to carry out COVID-19 tests for your staff. Contact us on our email ([email protected]) or call us at 281-853-5555 to have on-site COVID-19 tests for your place of business or community.

The duration of the test process depends on the type of the test and the type of service you choose from, regular/expedited/urgent.

COVID-19 test results are sent via email or text.

What is the Antibody test? 

The antibody test for COVID-19 tests a blood sample. The antibodies detected in the test are the IgM and IgG antibodies. Blood sample collection only takes 5 minutes, and the process has very low risk. The immune system of the body forms antibodies in reaction to the COVID-19 infection. The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, is perceived as an antigen by the immune system, so it starts the defence mechanism against it. The antibodies formed against every antigen are unique, and every antigen has a different genetic makeup too. 

The antibodies are low at the start of the infection, and then they keep on increasing gradually. After the patient relieves from the disease, the antibodies start to decrease. The count of antibodies is low in people who have recovered from COVID-19. 

The count of antibodies helps in determining the stage of the COVID-19 infection. The presence of unique antibodies produced in response to the COVID-19 infection indicates a past or current condition of COVID-19. Moreover, the antibodies from the recovered COVID-19 patients are used in convalescent plasma therapy.

The results of the antibody test are available within 48-72 hours after the test. 

The primary purposes of the antibody test are

  • To determine the stage of infection
  • Convalescent Plasma Therapy
  • To assess the effectiveness of the vaccination
  • To identify any autoimmune disorder
  • Presently, antibody tests are not used to decide about vaccinating a person. 

 

There are 2 types of COVID-19 antibody tests; the antibody test for IgG and the antibody test for IgM.

No, the positive diagnosis can also be due to the antibodies left in your body due to a past COVID-19 infection.

Before having the antibody test, you need to inform the physician about any nonprescription or prescription medicine that you take. These include vitamins and dietary supplements too.

There is not any specific preparation needed for this test generally. The patients receiving chemotherapy have a reduced level of antibodies overall. 

The antibody test uses the blood specimen to detect the IgG antibodies against the COVID-19 infection. The presence of these antibodies in the blood is a sign of a past COVID-19 infection. It takes 14 days after the onset of disease for the antibodies to be present in the blood sufficiently for COVID-19 diagnosis. COVID-19 can also be asymptomatic so that the patient may have antibodies against COVID-19 present in the blood in the antibody test, without any symptoms of the infection.

The antibody test uses the Abbott architect platform. A study performed by Abbott proved that the IgG antibody test for COVID-19 detects the antibodies in COVID-19 patients accurately in 100% of cases and does not find any antibodies in people with a negative diagnosis for 99% of the time. Thus, it has a 100% chance of true positive and a 99% chance of true negative. The specificity or true negatives and sensitivity or true positives are the metrics that measure the accuracy of the test.

The antibody test may give a positive diagnosis upon detecting antibodies formed in response to a virus belonging to the same category of coronaviruses as the SARS-CoV-2 virus, for instance, the virus which causes the common cold.

Yes, FDA authorizes the use of the IgG antibody test for COVID-19. On April 13th, 2020, FDA approved the marketing and distribution of the serology antibody test. On April 26th, 2020, FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) was granted to Abbott. 

COVID-19 test results are sent via email or text.

COVID-19 PCR Test

What is the COVID-19 RT-PCR test?

The RT-PCR test is the most accurate for diagnosing an active COVID-19 infection, with a very low possibility of false diagnosis. This test uses nasal secretions for testing the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Both diagnostic tests for COVID-19, the RT-PCR, and the rapid antigen test use the nasal secretions samples. This test diagnoses gene in the nasal secretions specimens collected from the infected individual’s lower and upper respiratory tract. A swab is used to take these secretions out from the oropharyngeal cavity, the throat at the back of the mouth behind the oral cavity or nasopharyngeal cavities. 

A positive diagnosis in the RT-PCR test indicates a very strong possibility of a COVID-19 infection. However, a positive diagnosis does not rule out the possibility of co-infection with other microorganisms or bacterial infections. The organism found in the specimens in this test is not always the reason for disease. 

The RT-PCR test is very accurate in its diagnosis, so it is also used to confirm the diagnosis of the rapid antigen test. 

Negative Results in the RT-PCR Test

Negative diagnosis in the RT-PCR test does not preclude the possibility of an active COVID-19 infection, nor is it used in decisions for patient management or as the only grounds for treatment. The healthcare practitioner uses the information obtained from the RT-PCR test and the patient history, epidemiological data, and clinical observations. For these reasons, the RT-PCR test is repeated in 3 to 5 days in high-risk symptomatic or at-risk people.

Not only that COVID-19 diagnostic testing is essential for those having COVID-19 symptoms, but it is also for people who work or live near infected people with a confirmed or possible COVID-19 case. Moreover, it is also for those who travel to geographical areas where COVID-19 cases were identified.

RT-PCR test report is mandatory for traveling.

RT-PCR test is necessary before a surgical operation.

The RT-PCR test is more accurate than the rapid antigen test. The only advantage of the rapid antigen test is its fast diagnosis as it makes the results available in 15 minutes only. Moreover, the rapid antigen test enables fast and large-scale testing as it is less costly too. The RT-PCR test often confirms the diagnosis of the rapid antigen test.

COVID-19 Antigen Test

An antigen test makes a diagnosis by recognizing the protein structures present outside a SARS-CoV-2 virus. The chemical composition of these protein structures on the virus is unique, forming the basis of diagnosis. 

Test Procedure

Rapid antigen test uses nasal secretions for making a diagnosis. For this purpose, a swab is used to take out the nasal secretions samples, in the same way as done in the RT-PCR test. The presence of the SARS-CoV-2 antigen in the specimen gives a positive diagnosis in the test.

It may take 15 minutes to an hour to get the results of the rapid antigen test.

The rapid antigen test also gives a correct diagnosis, though it is not as accurate as of the RT-PCR test. The rapid antigen test’s specificity is 99%, whereas its sensitivity is 92%. It means there is a chance of false-negative and false-positive in the test. An infection that causes the common cold may also give an incorrect positive diagnosis in the COVID-19 antigen test.

We keep you updated with the most recent news, facts, updates, and safety measures for COVID-19. Keeping yourself updated with the COVID-19 information helps in avoiding the infection.