If you have symptoms of COVID-19, such as a fever, a dry cough, or shortness of breath, you may wonder about getting tested for the coronavirus. Medical professionals can test some people in clinics or hospitals. There are several at-home collection tests available. They include:
- BinaxNOW - The antigen test can be purchased online or at drugstores. Using their eMEd site or a phone app, you log into the site and an expert guides you through how to test yourself with a nasal swab. You receive results within 15 minutes.
- Ellume - This antigen costs about $30. It also uses an app to guide you through the process using a nasal swab and results are known within 15 minutes.
- QuickVue. Also an over-the-counter antigen test, you get two tests for about $25. After you swab, you put the swab in a solution and wait 10 minutes. you then put a paper strip in the solution and changes color to indicate positive or negative.
- Cue - This is a molecular COVID-19 test and should be available without a prescription.
- Lucira Health’s “All-In-One” - Costing less than $50, it requires a prescription. You collect a sample through a nasal swab that you then put in a vial of solution. You then put the vial into a portable, battery-operated device. Within 30 minutes a light on the device indicates negative or positive.
While you may not know for sure if you have it, most people with mild symptoms can recover from COVID-19 on their own at home. You should:
- Rest. It can ease your symptoms and may help you recover faster.
- Stay away from others. Don’t go to work, school, or public places. Try to keep yourself separate from other people in your home.
- Drink plenty of fluids. Dehydration will make your symptoms worse.
- Ask your doctor about over-the-counter medicines that may ease your symptoms.
- If your symptoms get worse, call your doctor or a hospital.
Call your doctor or 911 if you have serious symptoms of COVID-19, such as:
- Trouble breathing
- Pain or pressure in your chest
- Bluish lips or face
- Sudden confusion