Although Covid-19 testing is not an exact science, there are several principles that are important to consider when deciding when to get tested. First and foremost, anyone with the symptoms listed below should get tested immediately:
- Cough
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Shortness of Breath
- Muscle Aches
- Headache
- Phlegm Buildup
- Diarrhea
- New Loss of Taste or Smell
With that said, let us discuss when to get tested when you don't have symptoms. It's much more of a grey area, but generally, we know that viral shedding has reached its most robust levels on Day 6 (yes SIX) after exposure. This means that if you get tested any time before Day 6, you are reducing your chances of detecting the virus on mucous membranes.
We already know that this is a tricky virus to detect even with the best testing available, so it's important to maximize our chances of proper diagnosis by waiting the appropriate time period before testing.
Of course, you're going to be isolating for that entire time, RIGHT?!?!!
