COVID-19 Testing Specialist
The Healthcare Gallery & Wellness Spa
Primary Care Practice & Medical Spa located in Baton Rouge, LA
You may need COVID-19 testing if you’ve had contact with someone who tested positive for the contagious disease, you have COVID-19 symptoms, or you need a test for airline travel. At The Healthcare Gallery & Wellness Spa in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Leone Elliott Jr., MD, MBA, and the team offer in-clinic COVID-19 testing, including antigen and antibody testing. Call the office, or book a COVID-19 test online today.
COVID-19 Testing Q&A
What is COVID-19 testing?
COVID-19 testing includes the various tests that check for a current or previous COVID-19 infection. The Healthcare Gallery & Wellness Spa offers in-clinic COVID-19 testing, including:
Antigen COVID-19 testing
Antigen COVID-19 testing checks for an active COVID infection. For this test, the team collects secretions from the back of your nose or throat and sends the sample to the lab for an evaluation.
Antibody COVID-19 testing
Antibody COVID-19 testing looks for a past COVID infection. For this test, the team draws blood from your arm and sends it to the lab to see if you have COVID-19 antibodies.
Your immune system creates these antibodies after exposure to the virus to protect you the next time you come in contact with it.
Who needs COVID-19 testing?
Dr. Elliott and the team at The Healthcare Gallery & Wellness Spa can help determine if you need a COVID-19 test. You may need an antigen test to check for an active infection if you have COVID-19 symptoms, such as:
- Fever
- Cough
- Muscle aches
- Sore throat
- Loss of sense of taste or smell
- Shortness of breath
You may also benefit from an antigen test if you had recent contact with someone who tested positive. You may also need a COVID-19 test to travel. The Healthcare Gallery & Wellness Spa offers COVID-19 testing within the 72-hour window for airline travel.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends that unvaccinated people get tested for an active COVID-19 infection after attending large social gatherings or traveling.
The team may recommend the antibody COVID-19 test if you suspect you had the viral infection, but never were tested and you currently have no COVID-19 symptoms.
How is COVID-19 testing done?
COVID-19 testing at The Healthcare Gallery & Wellness Spa is an in-office test. The specifics of your test depend on whether you need an antigen or antibody test.
For the antigen test, your provider uses a nasal swab to collect secretion samples from the back of your nose or throat. The swabbing takes less than a minute.
For the antibody test, your provider draws a sample of blood from your arm.
When can I expect results from COVID-19 testing?
You can expect immediate results from antigen COVID-19 testing at The Healthcare Gallery & Wellness Spa. For those in need of COVID-19 testing for airline travel, the team provides the appropriate documentation you need to present to the airline officials.
Antibody COVID-19 testing may take a few days.
Schedule your COVID-19 testing by calling The Healthcare Gallery & Wellness Spa or booking an appointment online today.