StarLight Pediatrics, led by Dr. Maria Castro and Dr. Yenny Cruz, can help you with COVID testing in Holly Springs, NC. The pandemic is not as devastating as it was in the past, but many cases are still popping up every day. Determining whether your child has this disease can ensure that they get the support they need to stay healthy and avoid long-term health issues.

Molecular Tests: The Current Standard for Testing

 If you’ve taken a COVID-19 test in a clinical setting before, there’s a strong chance it was molecular: they’re usually what most people receive when visiting a doctor. These focus on looking for genetic material from the virus (though this varies based on mutations) and can be taken in a few different ways. 

These methods include nasal, throat, and even saliva swabs — though nasal is probably the most common type you’ve seen. They’re very accurate and use polymerase chain reaction tests to get very rapid and effective results that make sense. 

Antigen Tests: Also Very Common

 In some cases, StarLight Pediatrics (led by Dr. Castro and Dr. Cruz) can provide antigen COVID testing for your Holly Springs, NC, child. These tests highlight the antibodies used to fight against this infection. The at-home version of COVID tests are antigen tests.

While they might not be as accurate as the molecular tests — though they’re still pretty strong — they’re fast and effective. If you’re worried about your child showing symptoms, these tests can give you a fast and fairly accurate reading of their COVID infection. 

Most are done via nose or throat swabbing. Keep in mind that if a person gets an antigen test a week after they showed symptoms, their number of antigens may have dropped off enough to produce a false negative.

Give Your Little Ones the Help They Need

 With the help of our skilled team at StarLight Pediatrics, including Dr. Castro and Dr. Cruz, you can get your child COVID testing in Holly Springs, NC. By diagnosing this condition early, you can get them the care they need and help prevent more infections. Please call us at (919) 762-5113 to learn more about the benefits of COVID testing for kids.