Steps To Get Tested For COVID-19

Yes. In addition to our standard infection control protocols, which include sanitizing exam rooms and tablets between patients and sanitizing common areas regularly throughout the day, we have taken additional steps to protect our patients and staff which include:

• Encouraging social distancing by asking patients to wait in their cars after check-in.
• Requiring all patients to wear masks.
• Designated COVID-19 testing clinics for performing diagnostic COVID-19 swab testing.
• Referring any patient with a respiratory illness to one of our designated COVID-19 swab testing clinics or to our virtual telehealth service.

For your safety and for the safety of our staff, we do require appointments for PCR swab testing. Book your appointment online or call 888-MDNOW-911 and select option 1 where a MD Now team member will assist you in scheduling an appointment at one of our many locations offering testing. If you are not symptomatic and would like to know if you have had COVID-19, antibody testing is available at many of our clinics on a walk-in basis.

Yes. In collaboration with one of the top CLIA-certified high complexity laboratories in the nation and one that is qualified to perform this type of testing, MD NOW’s COVID-19 PCR assay is cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).

The current test we use to detect an active COVID-19 infection is called a nasopharyngeal swab. The provider will use the swab to get a sample to send to the lab.

Our team is working as quickly as possible to meet the needs of our community and provide test results back in a timely manner. Results are usually available within 3-5 days, but it may take longer due to the current levels of demand and volume at the lab.

Yes, the PCR swab test for infection will allow MD Now to provide clearance for COVID-19. Your employer will determine return-to-work protocols.

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.

These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Chills
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Congestion or Runny Nose
• Sore throat
• New loss of taste or smell
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

If you experience any of these symptoms, we encourage you to schedule an appointment for a COVID-19 swab test or make a telemedicine appointment. We will be able to evaluate your symptoms and tell you the next steps to take.

Please be aware some people may have uncommon symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, conjunctivitis, signs of a stroke, or rashes such as hives, blister-type lesions, or blue finger tips and toes. Children may present with the signs and symptoms of Kawasaki’s Disease. Older individuals may also present with unusual symptoms such as confusion, sleeping more, dizziness, or decreased appetite.

If your symptoms become severe, call 911.

The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to COVID-19. It is thought Coronavirus is spread mainly from person-to-person who are in close contact through respiratory droplets produced from an infected person. To reduce the spread of COVID-19 everyone should:

• Wash their hands regularly. If soap and water is not readily available use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick, stay home as much as possible and put distance between themselves and others.
• Cover their mouth and nose with a cloth face cover or surgical mask when around others.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with your elbow or a kleenex.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily.

Visit the CDC website for more tips on handwashing techniques and how to further protect yourself and others.

We encourage you to check the following websites for the latest information and updates about Coronavirus.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Florida Department of Health
• Food and Drug Administration

Point-of-care or rapid tests are quick, and the results are usually available within 30 minutes. Although rapid tests can be convenient, they are often not as precise and accurate as lab-based tests and do not have the same sensitivity and specificity. MD Now only administers tests that are sent into our partnering lab for analysis to ensure we provide the most accurate results to our patients.The IgG antibody test that we provide requires a simple blood draw and our diagnostic viral test is administered through a nasopharyngeal swab. Results from both tests are usually available within 3-5 days, but it may take longer due to the current levels of demand and volume at the lab.