Do You Need a COVID-19 Test?

FAQs: COVID-19 testing & treatment

• How can I get a COVID-19 test at UCSF, and how does it work?

  Reviewed February 25, 2021

  UCSF Health is doing testing at various locations, including drive-through sites, Respiratory Symptom clinics and our emergency room. We perform these tests using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique similar to that used in testing for COVID-19 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

  PCR allows scientists to detect very small amounts of virus in a sample obtained with a swab from a patient's nose and throat.

  Typically, test results can be provided in 24 to 72 hours. Test results are published in MyChart, and we will telephone you if the results are positive. You'll receive an automated call if the result is negative.

• Does my insurance cover COVID-19 tests?

  Reviewed February 25, 2021

  Governor Gavin Newsom issued a directive requiring health insurance companies to waive member cost-sharing amounts for screening and testing for the COVID-19 disease. The federal government passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which also offers waiving of patient co-pays, co-insurance and deductibles for COVID-19 screening and testing. This FFCRA only applies to COVID-19 screening and testing, not to other services rendered.
  

• If someone has antibodies to the coronavirus, what does that mean? When and for how long after infection would someone produce antibodies?

  Reviewed February 25, 2021

  A positive test shows that you have antibodies that may have resulted from COVID-19 infection. It could also be a false positive test from a cross-reaction with antibodies from a related coronavirus or other virus. (Numerous other common coronaviruses also cause mild upper respiratory infections.)

  Antibodies can appear approximately one week after infection and typically peak four to six weeks after symptoms begin. Most people develop antibodies two to three weeks after infection. Some patients, particularly those with immunocompromising conditions, don't produce a detectible antibody response. How long antibodies remain in the body after COVID-19 infection is not known. Antibodies to most viruses remain detectable for months or even years after infection.

  We don't know yet whether antibodies to this virus offer immunity against future infections. More studies will have to be done to determine whether the presence of antibodies means you can't be reinfected – so decisions about returning to work or school should not be based on antibody test results.

  Also keep in mind that antibodies are not the only aspect of the body's immune response that protects you against a virus. Certain types of B cells and T cells also provide protection but are hard to measure. In other words, no longer having antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 doesn't necessarily mean that you're no longer protected.

• If I've been infected with COVID-19 and have a positive antibody test, does that mean I can no longer infect anyone else?

  Reviewed February 25, 2021

  Not necessarily. Antibodies may become detectable before an infectious virus has been cleared by the body, so a positive antibody test does not mean you can't spread the virus to other people.

• I've heard mixed information about various medications and their effectiveness against COVID-19. What does UCSF think?

  Reviewed February 25, 2021

  Lots of information is being shared on social media and in other forums, and not all of it is scientifically sound. Medical professional societies are reacting in real time to developments and sharing recommendations.

  The best available data indicate that it's safe to keep taking your regular medications, including blood pressure medicines such as the ACE inhibitor and ARB classes of drugs, cholesterol medicines such as statins, and blood thinners such as aspirin. We do not recommend starting to take such medicines in hopes of preventing COVID-19.

  Some people are interested in vitamin regimens as a preventative measure. It's unknown whether any specific vitamin can prevent COVID-19 disease, but taking vitamins is usually harmless, as long as you stick to the recommended dose. Be sure to check with your medical team before taking vitamins, as some can interact in a harmful way with medicines.

  We also don't recommend the use of hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, or ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19. Using these medications inappropriately has been shown in some studies to be harmful to patients. Similarly, we don't recommend the use of steroids such as prednisone or dexamethasone, except in more severely ill patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19.

• Where can patients who have recovered from COVID-19 donate blood for convalescent sera treatment trials?

  Reviewed February 25, 2021

  Researchers are currently investigating whether convalescent sera (blood plasma from recovered patients that contains COVID-19 antibodies) is beneficial to patients who are critically ill from COVID-19. Whether this approach is truly beneficial requires rigorous study. Recovered patients interested in donating can contact the Red Cross or Vitalant.