Your recovery journey from an active COVID infection typically ranges between 14 days to a month; depending on the severity of the infection. During COVID, multiple symptoms of this rapidly spreading and mutating virus could appear at once in some cases or one could be asymptomatic. Common symptoms of this infection include but are not limited to headache, fever, fatigue, sore throat or dry cough, loss of taste and smell and pain in the chest which damages the body in several ways.
The coronavirus poses a greater threat to people with existing illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes or obesity. These people have to stay alert in the post-COVID stage, as symptoms of other health conditions might surface again that were triggered by the COVID infection. Old-aged people may also be at a higher risk; thus, opting for a COVID RT-PCR test is the most vital prior to going about your post-covid care journey.
This test involves the taking of a nasal or oral swab for the test; this would indicate if the person has been infected with COVID-19. It also helps in checking the presence of an active SARS COV-2 virus that may be present. The coronavirus infection primarily spreads through droplets of saliva in the air or when an infected person coughs or sneezes that lingers in the air for a short while.
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The COVID RT-PCR test becomes necessary in cases where you might have interacted with a person who might have tested positive for the virus. In this case, you should resort to self-isolation for about 7-10 days for symptoms to appear. You should still be wearing a mask and create a distance of 2 meters between you and any other person for safety reasons. In any case, opt for a COVID RT-PCR test in your city or at the comfort of your home as soon as possible to be relieved of any matter of concern and possibly treat it in its early stages.
If your test result comes out positive, you must continue to isolate yourself from any other person due to an active infection until you are no longer tested positive. There might be two options available to you, in terms of isolation: self-isolation or a COVID-19 care facility that might be a hospital dedicated to patients with COVID. The latter is advisable if you are asymptomatic or show minimal symptoms of COVID.
If your test result comes out negative, this shows that you do not have an active coronavirus infection; thus, you may go about your life but continue to practice the safety precautions in order not to be infected.
One of the most common misconceptions of the COVID antibody test is that it could also be of help in detecting an active coronavirus infection. The COVID antibody test could only be to assess any antibodies developed by your body if you were infected with the virus previously; as a part of your post-covid care However, the COVID RT-PCR test is the only test used for the diagnosis of an active coronavirus infection.
If a person has been diagnosed with the coronavirus infection in the past and has now fully recovered, this person may choose to opt for a COVID-antibody test as a part of their post-covid care journey in order to gain information based on the strength of their immune system to fight this virus in the future.
