Facts about COVID-19 testing
Testing plays a major role in fighting COVID-19, for your health, the health of our communities, to help safely reopen businesses and be able to return to our daily routines and activities.
Testing Locations
Health plans cover COVID-19 tests at no cost to the enrollee. It is recommended that you first contact your healthcare provider for a COVID-19 test.
If you are unable to get a test from your healthcare provider, the County of San Diego has coordinated free diagnostic COVID-19 testing at many locations. These tests take about 5-10 minutes. Results generally come back in approximately 3 days.
Learn more at: https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/phs/community_epidemiology/dc/2019-nCoV/testing.html
Frequently Asked Questions
It is recommended to get a diagnostic test if you currently have COVID-19 symptoms or if you suspect you’ve been exposed to the virus. It is highly important to self-isolate as much as possible while you wait for your test results to avoid getting others sick. If the test shows up to be positive, you should isolate for 10-14 days or until your doctor tells you to.
If you test positive but don’t have any symptoms, you should still isolate for 10 days and watch for any symptoms to appear in order to avoid infecting others.
These are the two ways we test for a current COVID-19 viral infection:
Nasal swab — A doctor or nurse inserts a 6-inch-long swab into one of your nostrils and rotates it for 15 seconds. Then they repeat with the other nostril.
Throat swab — A doctor or nurse inserts a swab through your mouth, touching the back of your throat before removing the sample.
If you’re being evaluated for the virus and don’t need to be hospitalized, it is recommended you take the following steps:
Stay home except to get necessary medical care.
If you must go out, avoid any kind of public transportation, ridesharing or taxis.
Separate yourself from any other people in your home; if possible, use a separate bathroom.
Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, and then wash hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Avoid sharing household items such as dishes, utensils, cups, towels and bedding.
Wear a face mask when you are within six feet of other people.
Clean frequently all high-touch surfaces, such as counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, phones, keyboards, etcetera.
Monitor your symptoms, follow your doctor’s instructions and seek immediate medical attention ir the illness worsens or if your symptoms become more severe (e.g., difficulty breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse, bluish lips or face).
If you require 911 services, please inform the dispatcher you have or may have COVID-19.
Please make sure to follow your physician instruction. Continue to self-isolate until you are fever-free for 24 hours. If your conditions worsen, please contact our Call Center line.
If you’ve had close contact with someone who is confirmed to have or is being evaluated for coronavirus, and you think you might have been infected, CDC recommends self-isolation within your home, and the following:
Monitor your health starting from the day you first had contact with the person infected.
Continue monitoring for 14 days after you last had contact with the person infected.
Watch for these signs and symptoms:
- Fever
- Cough
- Congestion or runny nose
- Sore throat
- Shortness of breath
- Chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Fatigue
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- New confusion or dizziness
If you present any of these symptoms, please seek immediate medical attention.
Our SIMNSA facilities in both Tijuana and Mexicali have a standard protocol in place for any infectious disease, including the coronavirus, and we have a surge capacity plan to ensure proper care is delivered to all our patients.
At our entrances we have filters where patients are asked if they present any COVID-19 related symptoms and if they have had contact with anyone who has tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Also, we check every patient’s temperature, hand them a face mask and provide them an alcohol-based sanitizer before entering our facilities.
If a patient is presenting symptoms or has been exposed to the coronavirus, they will be sent to our COVID-19 screening area, where they will be getting a full workup.