Covid-19 Testing

Covid-19 virus is the name given to the new coronavirus which is an infectious disease. Covid-19 outbreak started in China in 2019 and rapidly spread around the world. New variants are being discovered due to the high infection rates still.

The virus is spread by close contact with an infected person who can be infectious for a number of weeks before even realising they are unwell themselves. The person may go on to develop a new, continuous cough which will also spread the virus to others through breathing, coughing or sneezing directly onto others or onto surfaces that are then touched by others.

The main symptoms of coronavirus (covid-19) are:

* a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
* a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
* a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

People usually experience at least one of these symptoms if they are symptomatic. It is important to remember that 1 in 3 infected are asymptomatic and will not experience any symptoms at all.

There are many things you can do to stop the spread of coronavirus:
* Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
* Use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
* Wash your hands as soon as you get back home
* Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
* Put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards
* Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean

No, private testing helps to alleviate the pressures currently on the NHS. Travelers needing a Covid-19 negative test for international travel require proof with a Covid-19 fit to fly certificate, which is currently unavailable with NHS tests. We support the incredible efforts of the NHS and many of our GP’s work there as well as at Fleet Street Clinic.

We have a duty of care to report all positive results to Public Health England so they are aware of all cases in the UK. We also have to share your details with the NHS track and trace, so you may be contacted separately to discuss your recent movement and contacts.

Yes, our nurses are very experienced in treating children of all ages. It may not be advisable to test young infants but sometimes this is an International travel requirement. You can contact us to confirm prior to booking.

We’ll email you your test results to the email address you provided at the time of booking. All patients having a rt-PCR test will get a complementary Covid-certificate, which can be used as proof of your result or for International travel purposes.

We are conscientious that some of our patients or their close family members are deemed clinically vulnerable. Therefore, all our staff are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 for your protection and peace of mind.