COVID Testing

COVID-19 is becoming a familiar condition, but it’s important not to let your guard down. Newton Pediatrics offers COVID testing with fast results at its offices in Wellesley and Waltham, Massachusetts. COVID testing doesn’t just protect you and your family, but the community in which you live as well.

What is COVID testing?

There are several ways to test for COVID-19:

Viral testing

Viral testing identifies the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, so it tells you if you are currently infected. Rapid testing gives you fast results, while lab tests can take a few days to get back to you.

Antibody testing

Antibody testing determines whether you have any antibodies for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The immune system produces these antibodies to protect you from future infection, although with COVID-19, it’s not certain how much protection they provide.

When is it advisable to have COVID testing?

You or your child should have a COVID test if you have any symptoms, such as:

New, continuous cough
Fever, chills, or body aches
Loss of taste or smell
Shortness of breath
Fatigue
Headache
Sore throat
Nasal congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea

COVID testing is also a good idea if you’re seeing anyone more vulnerable to infection and to make sure your or your child isn’t infected when attending work, school, or social occasions.

Why is COVID testing important?

In most people – particularly children and young adults – COVID-19 isn’t much more dangerous than the common cold. However, in a significant number of people, especially those over 50, COVID-19 can cause serious illness and long-term complications. For some, it leads to premature death. Because COVID-19 spreads so easily, many millions of people could become infected. Although the percentage of the population at risk of serious illness is small, that still represents hundreds of thousands of potential deaths.

COVID testing identifies anyone carrying the virus, which means they can take the appropriate steps to avoid infecting anyone else, like self-isolation. Even though many people are now vaccinated against COVID-19, the protection isn’t absolute, so they could still get sick. Therefore, testing is still important to reduce the spread of the disease.

Why should my child have a COVID test?

Children aren’t immune to COVID-19, but they are often asymptomatic, meaning they don’t have any obvious signs of being sick. That means they could be passing on the infection because they don’t know they have it. Newton Pediatrics offers COVID testing to protect you, your family, and your community.

Take the Next Step in Your Child’s Care

Your child deserves compassionate, high-quality medical care at every stage of growth.