The prospect of being tested for Covid-19 (by nasopharyngeal swab or blood) is only one of the many uncertainties of the pandemic, and perhaps less notoriously fearful than the quandary of whether to enter a hospital for Covid treatment (or, during a pandemic, for anything) or whether to even venture out of one’s house.
The questions a person may have about testing are legion: If I want a test but don’t have symptoms, do I have to lie and say I do? What about false negatives and false positives? If I’m positive, am I going to be forced to quarantine? How long must I wait after testing positive (with or without symptoms) to lose my leper status? Am I going to be forced to go to a hospital?
Muddying the waters are the different types of tests—nasopharyngeal swab or blood—and the different possible results—negative with and without symptoms and positive with and without symptoms.
One cause of the uncertainty revolves around the chosen lab, public or private. “The University of Guadalajara Covid tests are free and are only given to people with symptoms,” said a Guadalajara physician.
Please login or subscribe to view the complete article.