The greatest catastrophe which the present generation ever underwent is the COVID-19 pandemic, probably the scariest. You see people around us suddenly get confined to hospital beds, and many others confront death every day.
People grieve over the loss of those who are so close to them. There is no part of the world left unstroked with the filthy hands of the deadly coronavirus.
Testing, Quarantine, And Isolation During Pandemic Days
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Many of us are still unaware of the practical effects of the pandemic. In such a calamity, what you can do is just to save yourself from the brutal assaults of the pandemic. Proper preventive measures will only provide you a helping hand in that.
Testing of COVID-19
The symptoms of this fatal pandemic range from a simple throat infection to certain complex conditions like trouble breathing, extreme fatigue, and severe body pain.
If you suspect yourself to be confronted with the coronavirus or experience certain symptoms, the first-ever step you need to do is to undergo a test.
There are two different tests available to check whether someone infected with the coronavirus:
- A viral test
This test will help if you currently have an infection. This is based on the specimens collected from your nose or mouth. Viral tests are further divided into two as:
It is the generally followed testing method of the presence of coronavirus in laboratories. Here, the focus is on detecting the genetic material which is presented in the virus.
- Antigen tests
This test is normally followed on people who don’t show any symptoms but suspects an infection.
These two viral tests can also be conducted at home.
2. An antibody test
This test is used to identify in case you had an infection in the past. It is also called a serology test and it will check the presence of antibodies in your blood. The antibodies subjected to this test are proteins made by the immune system in your body. These are made immediately after you get infected with the virus. They will help you in the battle against infections and even will prevent reinfection.
An antibody test may not be effective to detect a present infection as it takes 1-3 weeks to form antibodies in your body after getting infected with the coronavirus.
Who Must Undergo A Test?
Everyone doesn’t need to undergo a test. But testing is mandatory in some cases. Presently we are dealing with a highly contagious virus, and the virus goes through certain mutations to form even more lethal strains of it.
In this situation, a test is necessary to detect if a person is infected or not. To get tested, you need to reach the local health department and before that, a visit to their website will be worth it since you would get all the needed information about it.
A test is necessary when you:
- Show symptoms of Covid-19.
- Have had close contact with someone who is confirmed as infected with COVID-19
- Involved in any activity which has a risk of the transmission of the coronavirus. These include a function or a social gathering, interstate or international travel, and mingling with an inevitable crowd in necessary situations.
- Have been asked or recommended by a physician to administer it.
When To Opt Quarantine?
Being in quarantine is the best option to prevent the spread of coronavirus. In case you suspect an infection or getting exposed to the virus, you have to be in self-quarantine and take a test.
Once you get tested you also have to be in self-quarantine until you receive your test result. Since there is a probability for you to be turned positive, people around you will also be at risk of infection.
If your results are negative, you can go back to your normal routines, but continue sticking to the preventive measures to escape getting contracted with the virus.
When your test report shows a positive result, you have to remain in quarantine following the instructions of your local health authority.
During quarantine, you have to stay at home, away from others along with taking care of your health, and should wear a mask at the time you confront any of your family members.
How To Be In Quarantine?
While in quarantine, you have to monitor yourself with certain directions given by the authorities. According to the recommendations of the CDC, you have to follow certain things like:
- Staying at home for 14 days
Health experts recommend being in quarantine for 14 days since you will take this much time to completely retrieve the virus. A quarantine period of 10 days can also be followed in several other cases when the patient experience no symptoms and show a negative result after testing.
- Observe
Pay attention to yourself on whether you develop any symptoms. If you detect any severe conditions like trouble breathing, inform your healthcare provider immediately.
- Keep social distance
Keep a distance of at least 6 feet or 2 meters away from others. You need to stay away from people as much as possible specifically from those who have higher risks of getting infected with COVID-19.
- Isolate yourself from others
If you feel sick it is better to isolate yourself from others.
Isolation
Isolation is different from being in quarantine. Here also you stay away from others, but even from those who are in your family. You should be in isolation until you turn negative in the test that is to be conducted later on. It is your doctor or the local health department who takes this special precaution even if you don’t have any symptoms.
Milder symptoms or asymptomatic conditions of COVID-19 will let you stay in your own home. But only under certain conditions. You have to wear a facial mask at home, and using separate dishes and other items in your household will be a better idea. You have to use a separate bedroom and washroom to save other members of your family.
However, if your complications with the pandemic are critical or become worse, you will be shifted to the hospital. For those who are critically ill with COVID-19, hospitals have arranged special isolation units to take care of them.
People who are infected with the more contagious strain of the virus also to be shifted to isolation.
After your recovery, you will be free to live the life you enjoyed before but not without using face masks and following measures of hygiene. Since the authorities around the world are following the efforts to wipe out this crisis, we can hopefully expect to be returned to our world where there are no shackles of social distance and facial masks.
