COVID-19 Testing

If you or your child develop a dry cough, sore throat, or fever, don’t wait to undergo COVID-19 testing. The sooner you receive a diagnosis, the sooner you can take steps to isolate and get better. At Mercy Medical Urgent Care, urgent care specialist Bilal Khodr, MD, provides several types of same-day COVID-19 testing, including polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) testing and antigen testing. To make an appointment, call the office in Lake City, Florida, or book online today. Walk-ins are also welcome.

What is COVID-19 testing?

COVID-19 testing analyzes a sample of your blood, mucus, or saliva, for the presence of specific viral proteins. If your test comes back positive, it means you have COVID-19 and should isolate until you’re no longer contagious.

Mercy Medical Urgent Care offers same-day COVID-19 testing to people of all ages. If you’re experiencing respiratory symptoms or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, contact the office right away.

Who can benefit from COVID-19 testing?

Request an appointment at Mercy Medical Urgent Care for COVID-19 testing if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Muscle aches
• Headache
• Congestion
• Runny noise
• Sore throat
• Gastrointestinal problems, like nausea or diarrhea

If you have COVID-19, you might also experience a sudden loss of taste and smell.

What are the types of COVID-19 testing?

Mercy Medical Urgent Care offers several types of COVID-19 testing, including:

Polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) COVID-19 testing

During a PCR test, your Mercy Medical Urgent Care provider collects a sample of mucus or saliva. Then, they send your sample to a laboratory for analysis. 

Technicians at the lab analyze your sample for the presence of viral proteins. If those proteins are present, it means you have COVID-19.

Antigen COVID-19 testing

An antigen COVID-19 test is very similar to a PCR test. The difference is that it analyzes your mucus or saliva for the presence of viral markers called antigens. If your sample contains COVID–19 antigens, antibodies in the test bind to them, causing a positive result.

Antibody COVID-19 testing

If you want to know if you’ve had COVID-19 in the past, your Mercy Medical Urgent Care provider orders an antibody test. Antibody testing analyzes a sample of your blood for the presence of COVID-19 antibodies. Antibodies are proteins that your immune system creates to help fight infection.

How is COVID-19 treated?

If your COVID–19 test comes back positive, your Mercy Medical Urgent Care provider makes treatment recommendations. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, they might suggest:

• Taking over-the-counter medication to reduce fever
• Drinking plenty of fluids to stay hydrated
• Getting lots of rest
• Taking prescription antiviral medication, like Paxlovid™

You should also stay home and isolate yourself until you’re no longer contagious. If you have to go out, try to stay at least six feet away from others, and cover your mouth and nose if you need to sneeze or cough.

To learn more about COVID-19 testing, make an appointment at Mercy Medical Urgent Care by calling the office, booking online, or simply walking in.