As the city of Chicago has recently slid into the Phase 1C of vaccination, newly eligible people are once again in need of information on the vaccine. But that isn’t enough. The current numbers of COVID-10 cases are once again on the high and city officials have warned the residents of Chicago, especially young adults, to be on the alert. The transmission risk is even higher now than it was in the second wave during the last October. Therefore, information regarding COVID-19 tests is once again too important for the people. The spread of information regarding these subjects will allow them to get tested when the need occurs and get vaccinated on the earliest available appointment.
On that note, we have created this article for you which will let you know about different tests and vaccines.
Let’s start.
Types of COVID-19 Test
PCR
PCR test is the most common and most accurate type of coronavirus test, which also makes it the most uncomfortable kind of test. Consequently, it’s the most expensive. But some places do it for free—link attached in the end.
In PCR, the tester uses a cotton swab and pushes it through your nose up to the point where your throat meets the sinuses—it’s called nasal pharyngeal. From that point, the nasal fluid is collected. The specimen is then broken into even tinier compounds and put under the fluorescent light. The special equipment is used to identify the traces of the virus. The complete process can take a day or two, usually, then the result is pronounced.
Antigen
Antigen tests are quicker than PCR, a lot less uncomfortable, and a lot less expensive. But they are not that much accurate. Experts recommend antigen tests in the first days of the transmission when the virus is spread in the whole body instead of just one base point. The process is a lot like PCR, except the cotton swab isn’t pushed through far up your nose and the specimen is collected from the nostrils.
Antibodies
Antibodies tests are done through blood testing to check the DNA. It is not a COVID finding test. It only looks for the past experiences of your body with the virus to find out if you have previously contracted the virus or not. That determines the capability of your immune system to fight off the virus if it happens again. The antibody test wouldn’t find out the current position of the virus in your body.
Types of COVID-19 Vaccine
Currently, two vaccines are prevalent in Chicago, BioNTech-Pfizer, and Moderna. However, in the newly opened mass vaccination site at Cook County, Johnson and Johnson is supplied because it has been shipped in the US in a very large quantity. Another vaccine, Novavax, is in the development phase and it could also reach the vaccination sites in the upcoming phases.
If you are based in Chicago, you can get Free COVID-19 Test and Free COVID-19 Vaccine. Make your appointment here.
