With the arrival of the holiday season, the demand for diagnostic tests against Covid-19 increases. Taking the exams is seen as a safe way to carry out family get-togethers.
Find out what the main recommendations are for anyone who has tested positive for the infection caused by the new coronavirus.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that anyone who has tested positive for Covid-19, regardless of vaccination status, should be isolated from contact with others for ten days until end of the transmission period.
According to the CDC, isolation must begin on the first day of symptom identification. Thus, the first day of isolation is considered, the period of 24 hours counted after the first signs of the disease.
For people who have tested for Covid-19 and have had no symptoms, day 1 of isolation is defined as the first full day after a positive diagnosis.
According to the CDC, if there is a late onset of symptoms after diagnosis, the counting of the ten days of isolation should start again, considering from the first day after the development of symptoms.
In addition to the isolation recommendations, the CDC advises that people who test positive for Covid-19 should:
- Notify anyone you’ve come into contact with, so they know they may have been exposed
- monitor symptoms
- Keep away from other people in the home and also from pets.
- Do not share personal items such as towels, cutlery and glasses
- Wear a mask when you are around other people
The Ministry of Health recommends that when symptoms compatible with Covid-19, such as fever, cough, sore throat or runny nose, with or without shortness of breath, people should seek medical attention. Check out other folder orientations:
Covid-19 laboratory diagnosis can be performed by three different methodologies, including molecular biology tests (RT-PCR), serology or rapid tests.
Molecular biology tests are considered the most accurate to check for new coronavirus infection. The technique allows for the identification of the presence of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material in respiratory secretion samples. For this, two methodologies called real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) and loop-mediated isothermal amplification with reverse transcriptase are used.
Through serology tests, carried out from blood, serum or plasma samples, it is possible to detect the presence of different types of antibodies produced by the organism in response to infection by the new coronavirus.
The most common tests are serological tests for IgM and IgG. A positive IgM indicates that the person has immunoglobulin M-type antibodies, which means that they have already been exposed to the virus and are in the active phase of the disease. A positive result for IgG may indicate that the individual is in the chronic or convalescent phase or that they have had contact with the disease at some point.
Rapid antigen and antibody tests are performed using a methodology called immunochromatography. The rapid antigen test, which detects the virus protein in samples collected from the nasopharynx, should be performed in the active phase of the infection. The rapid antibody test detects IgM and IgG in blood, serum or plasma samples.
Reference: CNN Brasil
