COVID-19 Tests
I want to know more about Sars Cov 2 and COVID-19
The COVID-19 infection is the disease caused by the SARS CoV-2 virus, which has been recently discovered and which causes respiratory infections that can be from minor to serious nature. All the information in this webpage has been obtained from the following official sources: the Spanish Immunology Society, the Spanish Health Ministry and the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinic Microbiology.
- Symptoms
- Transmission and propagation
- General advice to be protected and avoid transmission
- Necessary requirements to carry out a COVID-19 diagnosis tests
- Do you need the test to travel?
It is considered to be a suspicious case of infection of SARS-CoV-2 anybody with a clinical picture of acute respiratory infection of sudden emergence at any level of severity, showing other symptoms such as: fever, cough, or shortness of breath. Some other atypical symptoms such as odynophagia, anosmia, ageusia, muscular pain, diarrhoea, chest pain or headache among others. These ones can be symptoms of suspicious infection by SARS-CoV-2 according to clinical criteria.
Some people don’t show any symptoms at all or they present a very mild symptomatology.
This disease is spread mainly from one person to another through the small droplets that come from our nose or mouth when coughing, sneezing or speaking. That is why it is so important to keep the social personal distance (at least 2 metres). These droplets fall on objects or surfaces, so that anybody can be infected if they touch these objects and then they touch their eyes. That is why it is so important washing your hands frequently with water and soap or using alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
- To maintain at least 2 metres (6 feet) distance between yourself and others.
- Wash your hands frequently with soap or alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
- Don’t touch your mouth, eyes or nose.
- Avoid crowded places, especially if you cannot wear a mask.
- To keep breathing hygiene (cover your mouth and your nose with the inside of your elbow when coughing or sneezing)
- To stay at home and to isolate yourself if you present any symptom.
- If you are with the fever, cough or shortness of breath, find medical attention following the indications of the health authorities.
It is essential to book an appointment and come to the clinic wearing mask, as well as to inform if the person who performs the test has any type of compatible symptoms. For epidemiological control purposes, patients will also be required to fill out a questionnaire and provide a series of data, which will only be disclosed, if notification to the relevant health authorities is necessary.
Currently, in order to travel to certain destinations, it is a requirement to perform PCR and / or COVID-19 serology tests. Each destination country has its recommendations and we suggest getting information first so as not to carry out unnecessary tests or that the delivery time prevents us from making the trip.
I want to do a COVID-19 test
At Open House, we perform three groups of diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19: two are used to confirm or rule out active infections (RT-PCR and respiratory sample antigen tests) and another to confirm past or resolved infections (serological antibody tests). According to its diagnostic utility defined by the patient’s situation, health authorities recommend performing one or another diagnostic test.
- Past infections COVID-19 tests (IgM & IgG Antibodies )
- Antigen test for COVID-19
- PCR test for COVID-19
- Results delay due to exceptional circumstances
It is a test that detects IgM antibodies, which would indicate that there may be an active infection. In this case, the result must be confirmed with a test using the PCR technique and IgG antibodies, it indicates a possible past infection and, therefore, the “immunity” against the virus. This test is indicated in the following cases:
- To check past cases.
- To confirm negative results by PCR or antigen technique in symptomatic people.
- To check the presence of IgG antibodies, which would indicate that quarantine can be abandoned after the minimum period of 10 days, even if the patient continues to test positive in PCR.
There are two types of antibody serologic tests:
The rapid test:
The precision of this test is of 90’2% after two weeks of the possible exposure to the virus and the results will be available within 20 minutes.
ELISA serology:
The precision of this test is arround 99% after two weeks of the possible exposure to the virus and the results will be available within 24-48 hours.
Call us to book an appointment to do a rapid test (60€) or an ELISA test (75€)
Do you live outside Madrid, or you don’t need a medical consultation?
The latest tests incorporated by the health authorities for the diagnosis of Sars-CoV-2 are the latest generation rapid antigen tests, unlike the previous ones, they show a very high sensitivity compared to PCR (93.3%). At Open House, the results are delivered within 20 minutes from the collection of the sample. This test is indicated in the following cases:
- Active infection (with symptoms) with an evolution period of less than 7 days.
- To be able to end the quarantine after 10 days in the case of close contacts.
Call us to book an appointment at Open House Madrid to do this test 60€
Diagnosis through PCR presents a certain degree of complexity, since it is a technique that searches for the genetic material of the virus and requires many material and personnel resources to perform it, but it is an early detection technique and offers high specificity and sensitivity. reaching 99%. This test is indicated in the following cases:
- If you have an active asymptomatic infection.
- Patients with symptoms with a period of exposure to the virus greater than 5 days.
- Confirm positive IgM results in serological tests.
At Open House Madrid we offer 2 alternatives to perform this test: processing it in our central laboratory using conventional PCR (results in 24-48 business hours) or with our rapid individual processing PCR system (results in only 1 hour).
Due to the limited availability of reagents for our rapid PCR, Open House reserves the latter for patients who are close contacts, people who cannot wait for the laboratory deadline to travel, or people with symptoms. To optimize these resources, we invite our patients who do not meet these conditions to perform PCR test in our central laboratory.
Call us to book an appointment to do a PCR 24-48 hours test 140€ or urgent PCR 1 hour test 190€
Do you live outside Madrid, or you don’t need a medical consultation?
Due to the high workload at the laboratory derived from the current health emergency situation, there will be priority for testing samples from hospitals, the central laboratory informs:
The results term delivery begins when the sample arrives at the laboratory, but not when the sample is collected. Therefore, the term can be extended 24 additional hours.
The results delivery period can also be affected by the priority of other samples to be tested, when it is considered necessary for medical and epidemiological reasons.
Open House will do its best and put all its effort to give results in due time, if there is any incidence a prompt solution and alternative will be offered. Nevertheless, if a delay happened Open House cannot be responsible for the indirect and derived consequences (missing a flight, a particular event…).
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