COVID-19 Testing

How to get a test

Coming soon!

On Duty Urgent Care will offer the Sofia 2 SARS Antigen FIA test, by Quidel. This nasal swab test checks for specific proteins on a virus’s surface, and can produce results in as little as 15 minutes. It has been approved for emergency use authorization (EUA) by the FDA to test for active COVID-19 infection.

If you are currently experiencing upper respiratory symptoms consistent with those of COVID-19 (cough, fever, body aches, fatigue, recent loss of taste), we encourage you to seek testing elsewhere. However, we will soon be able to perform rapid COVID-19 testing at our South Loop clinic, so keep us in mind and check back for updates!

Understanding COVID-19

COVID-19 is a new virus strain that has only spread in people since December 2019. It belongs to the same family of virus as the common cold, SARS and MERS. However, it seems to be more contagious than these related coronaviruses. According to current evidence, COVID-19 virus primarily spreads through airborne respiratory droplets, close contact, and contaminated surfaces.

Reported cases of COVID-19 range from mild illness to severe pneumonia that requires hospitalization. Older adults and immunosuppressed persons are at higher risk of complications. Some carriers experience no symptoms at all.

There is no specific antiviral treatment recommended at this time, though supportive care can help relieve symptoms. Medical teams and researchers around the globe are working tirelessly to develop a vaccine and targeted treatments. Until then, we will need to utilize wide-spread testing, quarantines, masking, and social distancing to minimize the number of people who contract the disease.

Symptoms

Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fever
Chills
Repeated shaking with chills
Muscle pain
Headache
Sore throat
New loss of taste or smell