COVID-19 Testing Information
Learn when to seek emergency medical attention.
Is COVID-19 Testing Available at the Hospital?
COVID-19 testing is available for emergency room patients who:
- have COVID-19 symptoms
- or are part of a public health investigation
- or have been in close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 infected person
Results may take up to one week depending on testing volume
If you have mild symptoms and you would like to be screened for COVID-19 or your employer would like you to be tested:
- Please consider obtaining testing through your regular provider network to help to assure tailored clinical advice and good follow up.
- Reliant Urgent Care offers video visits/COVID-19 testing. They are open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. and you must call (310) 215-6001 or book online at https://www.solvhealth.com/book-online/gJvo7g. No walk-in appointments are available.
Symptoms of COVID-19
People with COVID-19 have reported a wide range of symptoms – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with any of these symptoms may have COVID-19:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell (is highly indicative of COVID-19)
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
When to Seek Emergency Medical Attention
Look for emergency warning signs* for COVID-19. If someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately:
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion
- Inability to wake or stay awake
- Bluish lips or face
*This list is not all possible symptoms. Please call your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.
Call 911 or call ahead to your local emergency facility: Notify the operator that you are seeking care for someone who has or may have COVID-19.
Who is a close contact?
A “close contact” refers to any of the following people who were exposed to a patient with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 (“patient”) while they were infectious*:
An individual who was within 6 feet of the patient for more than 15 minutes
An individual who had unprotected contact with the patient’s body fluids and/or secretions, for example, being coughed or sneezed on, sharing utensils or saliva, or providing care without wearing appropriate protective equipment.
*A patient with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 is considered to be infectious from 48 hours before their symptoms started until their isolation period ends. Individuals or Patients without symptoms but who have received a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 positive result are considered to be infectious from 48 hours before their test was taken until 10 days after their test was taken.
Will a COVID-19 test protect me from the virus?
No, a COVID-19 test does not protect you from the virus. A COVID-19 test does not guarantee that you do not have the virus; a false- negative test is possible. Also, even when accurate, a test result only reflects whether you have the virus at the moment you took the test. You could become positive at any time and an exposure to COVID-19 could happen immediately following your test.
References
CDC. (2020). Symptoms of COVID.
Need Help?
For the most up-to-date testing information, call us.