When your doctor orders you to have blood drawn for routine tests or diagnostic procedures, it doesn’t feel like routine to every patient. Blood draws incorporate two prevalent fears – hemophobia (fear of blood) and trypanophobia (fear of needles) – into one uncomfortable situation. Some people also may be afraid of feeling lightheaded or may even have iatrophobia, which is the extreme fear of medical tests in general.
A positive result for COVID-19 testing is a scary result to hear, especially when it concerns your child. But with kids back at school and debates still ongoing about the youngest age groups that should get the vaccine, one of your kids can come home with symptoms of COVID-19 while the rest of the house is safe. If you test negative while your child tests positive, the situation has become complicated, with many things to consider. You may be asking yourself: how do I provide them the best care? How do I keep myself and other family members from also getting sick?
COVID-19, the illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, can be detected using two testing modalities: diagnostic and antibody tests. Of these, diagnostic tests are separated into polymerase chain reaction (or PCR) tests and rapid antigen tests. The difference in the test samples, result times, and diagnostic procedures indicated by these tests changes their effectiveness and availability depending on the circumstances.