If you’re getting a COVID-19 nasal swab test, you’re likely curious about how it’s done, especially if you’ve heard complaints from people who know how they felt their brains were “scraped” during the test.
While the procedure involves a little discomfort and resistance, and you may feel a tickle in your throat or the urge to sneeze or cough afterward, these should subside in less than an hour. Also, it’s worth keeping in mind that these minor discomforts are far outweighed by the benefits of knowing whether you do have the virus or not.
At My Doc Urgent Care, our team has undergone extensive training in swabbing techniques, which has equipped us to make the procedure as easy as possible while ensuring high-quality specimens and accurate results.
To help calm your anxiety about COVID-19 testing, read on to find out how we exactly perform nasal swab tests here at our facility.
How We Perform Nasal Swab Tests
After you download and fill out our New Patient Intake Form with COVID Screening Questions and proceed to our temporary VIP drive-through area at the rear entrance of our facility, you wait for our staff to attend to you.
When it’s your turn, expect us to have you slightly tilt your head back, then gently insert a soft tip on a long, flexible stick (swab) into your nostril until you feel slight resistance. We will then rub the swab four times in your nostril in a circular motion. Next, we do the same technique in your other nostril and remove the swab. It is important that you remain still during the test, so our staff can obtain a sufficient samples of your nasal secretions.
Once we obtain the sample, we will either process it and have the result ready in 15 to 30 minutes (rapid antigen test), or send it to the laboratory for analysis and have the result available in 24 to 48 hours (PCR test).
How We Perform the COVID-19 Antibody Test
If you opt for a COVID-19 antibody test, we will obtain a sample of your blood, either by doing a finger prick or by drawing it through a vein in your arm. We will then send the sample to the laboratory for analysis to determine whether your body has developed antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.
Reliable COVID-19 Testing in Garfield, NJ
For highly efficient COVID-19 testing in Garfield, New Jersey, visit us here at My Doc Urgent Care. All of the tests we offer here at our facility are funded through the CARES (Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security) Act, which means that if you have no insurance, you won’t have to pay anything out of your pocket to get a COVID test.
As with our other urgent care services, you don’t need to schedule an appointment for COVID-19 drive-through testing. However, we encourage you to call us at (862) 295-3501 to learn how to go about the procedure if you’re experiencing symptoms or you think you’ve had recent exposure to the virus.
