In case you’ve spent the weekend tucked up under your duvet, you’ll know that the colder weather is nowhere, as temperatures plummet and the wind begins to intensify.
Of course, this creates an increase in the frequency and instances of people feeling unwell, with factors such as inadequate Vitamin D levels exacerbating this trend and causing some to worry that they may have coronavirus in the current climate.
This will create a need to get a Covid-19 test, in order to generate peace of mind and help you to understand if you have the virus. So, here’s our brief guide to coronavirus testing in the current climate.
Be Proactive if You Have Symptoms
The symptoms of Covid-19 are relatively generic and synonymous with other seasonal and respiratory illnesses, including a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, and a potential change to your sense of smell or taste (or both).
If you experience these or similar symptoms, you may want to be proactive and seek out an official test.
There are several ways in which you can get tested, although you can initially head over to the NHS booking system online or simply dial 119 to book an official appointment. Tests will be granted to anyone aged 16 and over, with a number of temporary test sites in place across the length and breadth of the country.
Temporary test facilities are being increasingly reimagined too, particularly in terms of optimizing social distancing and maintaining the safety of potentially ill and vulnerable visitors on a daily basis (especially during busy periods).
This includes the creation of fast and safe test lanes for Covid-19, which are being used to increase the speed and efficiency of testing without compromising on safety.
Travelling and What to Do if You’re Positive
If you happen to be traveling, it’s important to remember that you can currently access free lateral flow tests from the NHS, but these don’t officially count as a so-called “Day 2” test.
Instead, the government has introduced cheaper and more accessible lateral flow tests for fully vaccinated individuals, which can deliver a rapid result and ease your freedom of movement as a traveler.
If you’ve yet to be vaccinated or have decided against this course of action, you’ll be required to take Day 2 and Day 8 tests and isolate yourself for a period of 10 days during the process of traveling.
In instances where your test delivers a positive result, you’re required by law to self-isolate for a period of seven days from when physical symptoms first appeared.
This is required to help prevent the spread of the virus while you’re at your most infectious, and failing to adhere to the rules can put others at considerable risk of being ill and hospitalized in the worst-case scenario.
