Video: Boston doctor shares best advice for utilizing free, covered at-home COVID-19 tests
Updated: 10:51 AM EST Jan 22, 2022
EXPECTING A LOT OF ACCUMULATION. JENNERIF MORE OPTIONS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR FAMILIES TO RECEIVE FREE RAPID TESTINGOR F COVID-19 AT HOME. RHONDELLA: HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS IS DR.AN VDANA MADHAVAN, CLINICAL DIRECTOR OF PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE AT MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN LET’S’TAKE A LOOK AT THIS LIST. YOU CAN NOW ORDER FOUR FREE TESTS PER HOUSEHOLD FROM COVIDTESTS.GOV. YOU ALSO CAN GET EIGHT TESTS PER PERSON, PER MONTH, COVERED BY INSURANCE. IAIT LOT YOU CAN’T TEST EVERYONE EVERY DAY. PLEASE SHARE WHAT IS YROU ADVICE ON HOW TO USE THE LIMITED EDITION TESTS. DR. MADHAVAN: ANOTHER THING TO REMEMBER IS IF YOU HAVE CHILDNRE IN YOUR FAMILY IS THAT A LOT OF SCHOOLS ARE SWITCHING TO A WEEKLY TESTING PROGRAM. I THINK IT IS IMPORNTTA TO THINK ABOUT WHO IS IN YOUR FAMILY, HOW MANY TESTSOU Y HAVE, THE DIFFERENT PLACES YOU COULD GET TESTED, SCHOOL OA WORKPLACE THAT IS OFFERING TESTING, AND THINKING ABOUT THE TIMING AND TERMS OF BEFORE AND AFTER. TESTING BEFORE TRAVEL, BEFORE A GATHERING WHERE DIFFERENT HOUSEHOLDS ARE GETTING TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY FROM OUT-OF-STATE, IS IMPORTAN T.TESTING AFTER A POSSIBLE EXPOSURE, AFTER TRAVEL. RATHER THAN THINKING I HAVE TO TEST A WEEK, THINKING ABOUT THE TIMING. ALSO KNOWING TTHA THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS FOR TESTING AND THAT, IN CERTAIN CASES, THE HOME ANGETI TEST IS NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH ANDE W NEED THE REMO SENSITIVE PCR TEST WHERE YOU NEED TO GO TO A CLINIC OR TESTING SITE. JENNIFER: WE ARE GETNGTI QUESTIONS FROM PARENTS TAKING CARE OF CHILDREN WITH CIDOV, UN FORTUNATELY. GABRIELLA SAYS “MY SON IS A SECOND-GRADER WHO TEEDST POSITIVET A SCHOOL, BUT DOESN’T HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS. HOW LONG IS HE ACTUALLY CONTAGIOUS?” DR. MADHAVAN: TTHA IS A GREAT QUESTION AND ONE THAT IS DIFFICULT TO PIN DOWN BECAUSE EVEN WITH A RPC TESTS, WHICH IS MORE SENSITIVE, IT IS NOT A QUANTITATIVE TTES WHERE WE CAN QUICKLY MEASURE THE AMOUNT OF VIRUS. IT TELLS US POSITIVE OR NEGATI.VE TYPICALLY WE SAY THAT PEOPLE ARE CONTAGIOUS A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE SYMPTOMS AND WHILE THEY ARE SYMPTOMATIC .OBVIOUSLY IF SOMEONE IS NOT SYMPTOMATIC WE ARE FOCUSED ON THE FIRST 3-5 DAYS AFTER TESTING POSITIVE, WITH THE CAVEAT THAT WE CAN’T KNOW FOR SURE. KNOWING SOMEONE WHO IS ASYMPTOMATIC CLEARLY HAS A LOWER LEVEL OF VIRUS THAN SOMEONE WHO IS ACTIVELY CGHGOU AND HAVING A FEVER. RHONDELL THERE IS ANOTHER QUESTION, THIS TIME FROM ALEXA. “EVERYONE IN OUR FAMILY HAD COVID LAST MONTH EXCEPT OUR DAUGHTER. SHOULD WE DO AN ANTIBODY TEST TO SEE IF SHE HAD IT BEFORE OR IS THAT A WASTE OF TIME?” DR. MADHAVAN: I HOPE EVERYONE IS DOING WELL. IN THIS SITUATION ONE WOULD ASSUME THAT SH HE IT UNLESS SHE WAS AWAY AT SCHOOL AND WAS WELL ISOLATED. I WOULD ASSUME SHE HAD IT, REMEMBERING SOMETIMES IF IT IS THE YOUNSTGE DAUGHTER SHE MIGHT HAVE HAD SUCH A MILD INFECTION THAT IT WASN’PIT CKED UP A HOME TEST. REMEMBERING THAT THE ANTIBODY TESTS THAT ARE MOST WIDELY AVAILABLE ARE SOAL QUALITATIVE, MEANING SAYING YES OR NO AND NOT GINGVI US AN ACTUAL NUMBER OR LEVEL OF ANTIBODY TO SAY YES THIS IS PROTECTIVE. I WOULDN’T BOTHER LOOKING FOR AN ANTIBODY TEST AND ASSUMING SHE HAD IT, KNOWING HAVGIN HAD INFECTION IS NOT NECESSARILY PROTECTION AGAINST FUTURE INFECTIONS. KNOWING THAT SHEAD H IT ISN’T REALLY GOING TCHO ANGE YOUR MANAGEMENT AT THIS POINT. JENNIFER: THANK YOU. CLINICAL DIRECTOR OF
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Video: Boston doctor shares best advice for utilizing free, covered at-home COVID-19 tests
Updated: 10:51 AM EST Jan 22, 2022
The federal government is offering a maximum of four free tests per household, while insurance companies will cover up to eight at-home tests per month.
The federal government is offering a maximum of four free tests per household, while insurance companies will cover up to eight at-home tests per month.
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