{"id":33152,"date":"2020-07-02T00:49:15","date_gmt":"2020-07-01T14:49:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/geelongtimes\/news\/your-covid-19-test-questions-answered\/"},"modified":"2020-07-02T00:49:15","modified_gmt":"2020-07-01T14:49:15","slug":"your-covid-19-test-questions-answered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/geelongtimes\/living\/your-covid-19-test-questions-answered\/","title":{"rendered":"Your COVID-19 test questions answered"},"content":{"rendered":"

Testing for COVID-19 can give much-needed information to help understand and manage this viral infection on an individual, local, national and global level.<\/h3>\n

NPS MedicineWise has published a new article about COVID-19 testing, which explains the different types of tests available in Australia and answers people\u2019s frequently asked questions.
\n\u201cThe most reliable way to test someone for a current COVID-19 infection is with what we call a PCR test, which is the test being administered at the COVID-19 clinics around the country right now,\u201d medical adviser at NPS MedicineWise and GP Dr Jill Thistlethwaite said.
\n\u201cA PCR test can detect the virus that causes COVID-19 if it\u2019s present on a swab, usually taken from the back of your nose and throat.
\n\u201cHowever, medical tests are rarely 100 per cent accurate and there have been people with COVID-19 whose initial PCR test results were negative, so it is important to follow your health professional\u2019s advice. This may still include a period of isolation even if your test result is negative.\u201d
\nAnother kind of test is a serology test, also known as an antibody test, but at the moment these tests have a very limited role.
\n\u201cA COVID-19 serology test uses a blood sample to help indicate if you\u2019ve had a COVID-19 infection in the past. They are not used for diagnosis of a current infection,\u201d Dr Thistlethwaite said.
\nThe infectious disease COVID-19 is caused by a new coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2.
\nAlthough the first known cases were reported in December 2019, COVID-19 is a very new disease. Health experts and governments are still learning about the way the virus spreads through the community, and how the body responds to the coronavirus during and after an infection.
\nBeing informed and following the latest evidence-based advice are the best ways to protect you and your family during the coronavirus pandemic.
\nAsk your GP, pharmacist or other health professional if you have questions about your medicines and COVID-19.
\nTo read the full article, head to nps.org.au\/testing-for-covid-19.
\nFor the latest updates on the response to coronavirus in Victoria and what you should do, head to dhhs.vic.gov.au\/coronavirus<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Testing for COVID-19 can give much-needed information to help understand and manage this viral infection on an individual, local, national and global level. NPS MedicineWise has published a new article about COVID-19 testing, which explains the different types of tests available in Australia and answers people\u2019s frequently asked questions. \u201cThe most reliable way to test […]<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":142,"featured_media":33153,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-33152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-living"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nYour COVID-19 test questions answered - Geelong Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/geelongtimes\/living\/your-covid-19-test-questions-answered\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Your COVID-19 test questions answered - Geelong Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Testing for COVID-19 can give much-needed information to help understand and manage this viral infection on an individual, local, national and global level. NPS MedicineWise has published a new article about COVID-19 testing, which explains the different types of tests available in Australia and answers people\u2019s frequently asked questions. \u201cThe most reliable way to test [...]Read More...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/geelongtimes\/living\/your-covid-19-test-questions-answered\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Geelong Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-07-01T14:49:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/geelongtimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2020\/07\/Untitled-design-5-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"James Taylor\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"James Taylor\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/geelongtimes\\\/living\\\/your-covid-19-test-questions-answered\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/geelongtimes\\\/living\\\/your-covid-19-test-questions-answered\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"James Taylor\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/geelongtimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c1765be3a722a2023e6ce64487db8b45\"},\"headline\":\"Your COVID-19 test questions answered\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-07-01T14:49:15+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/geelongtimes\\\/living\\\/your-covid-19-test-questions-answered\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":365,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/geelongtimes\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/geelongtimes\\\/living\\\/your-covid-19-test-questions-answered\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/prod\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/21\\\/2020\\\/07\\\/Untitled-design-5-1.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Living\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/geelongtimes\\\/living\\\/your-covid-19-test-questions-answered\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/geelongtimes\\\/living\\\/your-covid-19-test-questions-answered\\\/\",\"name\":\"Your COVID-19 test questions answered - 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