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PRIVATE COVID 19 TESTING OPTIONS

PCR Swab Test, Rapid Antigen Test or Lamp Test: which one do you need?

We do all the sampling in the Pharmacy and do not post out the kits. 


Fit to Fly Covid Tests & Other Private Covid Tests


Once you have purchased your required Covid Test, complete the form below requestiong your appointment dates and time. 

Disclaimer : We will not be liable for any inconvenience caused because of the test certificate.


The ability to accurately identify whether individuals are at risk for, infected with, or have an immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is essential to address the COVID-19 pandemic from both a personal and a public health perspective. Reliable testing is critical for:

  • Determining the state of an individual’s immune response to exposure.

  • Assessing whether an individual is contagious and needs to be quarantined.

  • Deciding if an individual is immune and can return to society without undue risk.

  • Facilitating contact tracing to reduce viral spread.

  • Determining the prevalence and natural history of this novel disease.



During a time of heightened potential infection from COVID-19, favourably modulating immune function can be an important strategy for not only reducing the chance of infection, but for potentially reducing the severity of and sequelae from infections. Since lifestyle factors have a large effect on immune function, when working with patients in the era of COVID-19, the modifiable lifestyle factors below are the first steps.

How to Survive Coronavirus

Indications

The majority of people with COVID-19 have uncomplicated or mild illness (81%), with non-specific symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough (with or without sputum production), anorexia, malaise, muscle pain, sore throat, dyspnea, nasal congestion, or headache. Rarely, patients may also present with diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting. Loss of taste and smell has been reported early in the infection.

A relatively small proportion of people, particularly but by no means exclusively in those aged >70 years, will develop severe illness requiring oxygen therapy (14%) and approximately 5% will require intensive care unit treatment. Time from the onset of the infection to hospitalisation can be up to ~13 days. Of those critically ill, most will require mechanical ventilation. The most common diagnosis in severe COVID-19 patients is severe pneumonia; this can progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome, and life-threatening multi-organ dysfunction and death. Mortality has been estimated at between 1 and 2% of those infected, the higher figure in men.

Current testing for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) is rapidly evolving. 

Clinical background and biology

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory tract infection caused by a newly emergent coronavirus – Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) - which was first recognised in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019. Genetic sequencing of the virus suggests that SARS-CoV-2 is a betacoronavirus closely linked to SARS coronavirus 1.

The outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020, and has since spread globally, resulting in the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic. Current measures are in place globally to reduce the spread of the virus, most commonly from droplets (person-to-person) but also from infected surfaces. The target is to reduce the reproduction number (R0) to <1.0 - i.e. < one person infected by one affected individual.


Testing is vital if we are to combat and contain this disease. We offer two types of testing : 

Private Covid Test - Rapid Antigen, PCR, lamp covid test


This Virus is so new we are still learning. The testing methods are continously improving until we can find a perfect way to screen exclusively for COVID 19. Our advice is to do both types of tests as currently the Rapid Antibody Tests has it limitations.

PCR SWAB TEST for COVID 19  - SARS CoV- 2 RNA 

Molecular testing (PCR Swab) will identify people with the virus. 

Infectivity is now recognized to occur before the onset of symptoms and yet high titres of virus can be detected on upper airway surfaces in people who do not develop symptoms.

Infection with SARS-CoV-2, an RNA virus, is diagnosed using reverse-transcriptase PCR. The assays we use show a minimum sensitivity of 98% and a specificity of 100%, with no cross-reactivity with other viruses.


COVID-19 PCR Swabs remain the gold standard for diagnosing COVID-19 and remains a mainstay of the UK’s testing programme.

PCR Swab test covid 19

Coronavirus - COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) IgG Antibody Test

Antibody testing can tell whether a person has been previously infected. Most patients who recover from coronavirus have been found to produce antibodies, but it is not yet known if an individual with a positive result showing presence of IgG levels following being infected with SARS-CoV-2 will be protected, either fully or partially from future infection, or for how long protective immunity may last.

Testing should be undertaken 14 days or more following exposure or onset of symptoms. The incubation period of COVID-19 ranges from between 1 to 14 days, with the majority of cases manifesting with symptoms at 3 - 5 days. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, dry cough and difficulty breathing. These symptoms have the potential to develop into a very severe acute respiratory illness. Evidence shows that fatality rates increase with age, gender, body weight, ethnicity and comorbidities.

The host immune system reacts to the infection by SARS-CoV-2 by producing antibodies from a few days to 2 weeks after the onset of symptoms. Specific IgG antibodies are produced in the later stages of infection to SARS-CoV-2, and are detectable after RNA is no longer detectable.

The persistence of IgG antibodies allows identification of people who have been infected by SARS-CoV-2. Test development relating to SARS-CoV-2 is rapidly evolving. 

Interpretation of Results

COV-2 IgG

< 1.4

Not Detected

(Negative)

COV-2 IgG

>= 1.4

Detected

(Positive)



For more analysis, discover our Blood testing & phlebotomy section

 

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