vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 Testing At VA | Veterans Affairs
COVID-19 Testing At VA | Veterans Affairs

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 COVID-19 testing at VA
 

COVID-19 testing at VA

We offer COVID-19 diagnostic lab tests for Veterans who are enrolled in VA health care. We may also offer self-test kits at some VA health facilities. Read this page to learn how to schedule a lab test, get self-test kits, and what to do next based on your results.

 Why early COVID-19 testing is important
 

If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, take a self-test at home or request a lab test appointment at VA. If your result is positive, tell your health care team right away.
If you need treatment, you must start it early for it to work. Some treatments must start within 5 days of your first symptoms.

 Request a lab test by secure message

Get COVID-19 self-test kits

Order free self-test kits
Every home in the U.S. can order 1 set of 4 free tests that they can take at home.
Learn how to order free self-test kits on COVID.gov
Other ways to get self-test kits

If you’re enrolled in VA health care, some VA health facilities may offer self-test kits. Contact your nearest VA health facility to find out if they offer self-test kits.
Find your nearest VA health facility
We’ll also provide self-test kits to Veterans in other situations, depending on local supplies. For example, we’ll provide self-test kits to Veterans who are currently experiencing homelessness and living in shared community spaces.
Some local pharmacies also offer self-test kits.
Post-COVID Conditions: Information for Healthcare Providers
Toward Understanding COVID-19 Recovery: National Institutes of Health Workshop on Postacute COVID-19 | Annals of Internal Medicine (acpjournals.org)
A clinical case definition of Post COVID-19 condition by a Delphi consensus, 6 October 2021 (who.int)
Early clues regarding the pathogenesis of long-COVID: Trends in Immunology (cell.com)


	Last Updated Feb. 6, 2024	Source: 	National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases

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Información para entender cómo actúan las vacunas contra el COVID-19 | CDC
Desarrollo inicial

Las vacunas nuevas primero se desarrollan en laboratorios. Los científicos han estado trabajando durante muchos años para desarrollar vacunas contra diversos coronavirus, como los que provocan el síndrome respiratorio agudo grave (SARS) y el síndrome respiratorio de Oriente Medio (MERS). El SARS-CoV-2, el virus que causa el COVID-19, está relacionado con estos otros coronavirus. Los conocimientos adquiridos gracias a las investigaciones previas sobre las vacunas contra otros coronavirus aceleraron el desarrollo inicial de las actuales vacunas contra el COVID-19.

Ensayos clínicos

Después de la etapa inicial de desarrollo en el laboratorio, las vacunas atraviesan tres fases de ensayos clínicos para garantizar su eficacia y seguridad. No se omitió ninguna de las fases de los ensayos.
Varios miles de voluntarios y voluntarias de diferentes edades, razas y etnias participaron de los ensayos clínicos de las vacunas contra el COVID-19.
Los ensayos clínicos de las vacunas comparan los resultados (como la cantidad de personas que se enferma) entre las personas que se vacunan y las que no. Los resultados de estos ensayos demostraron que las vacunas contra el COVID-19 son seguras y eficaces, especialmente para evitar enfermarse gravemente y prevenir hospitalizaciones y muertes.

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Clinical Care Quick Reference for COVID-19 | CDC
For patients who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, treatment is available.
MORE DETAILS

Clinical Care
ISDA Guidelines on the Treatment and Management of Patients with COVID-19
American College of Physicians Clinical Guidelines and Recommendations on COVID-19
Preventing the Spread of Respiratory Viruses When Sick

QUICK REFERENCEPeople at Increased Risk for Severe Illness

Older adults are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
People with multiple underlying medical conditions are more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.
The risk of severe COVID-19 increases with age and the number of underlying medical conditions.
Long-standing systemic health and social inequities have put some groups of people at increased risk of getting very sick and dying from COVID-19.

MORE DETAILS

List of Underlying Medical Conditions Associated with Higher Risk for Severe COVID-19

QUICK REFERENCEMultisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS)

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome is a rare but serious complication associated with COVID-19 in which multiple organ systems become inflamed.
MIS can affect children and adolescents (MIS-C) and adults (MIS-A).
The MIS-C healthcare provider page provides information on clinical presentation, case definition of MIS-C, case report form (CRF), and more resources about MIS-C.
CDC has developed a MIS-A case definition for healthcare providers.

MORE DETAILS

Information for Healthcare Providers about Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)
MIS-C Healthcare Provider Resources
MIS in Adults (MIS-A) Case Definition

QUICK REFERENCEPost-COVID Conditions

Post-COVID conditions describe a range of new, returning, or ongoing health issues that persist four or more weeks after a person is first infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, sometimes after initial symptom recovery.

New or ongoing symptoms can occur in people who had varying degrees of illness during acute infection, including patients who had mild or asymptomatic infections.
Medical and research communities are still learning about post-acute symptoms and clinical findings.

Get more details: Evaluating and Caring for Patients with Post-COVID Conditions
QUICK REFERENCECaring for Special Populations
Antibody (Serology) Testing for COVID-19: Information for Patients and Consumers | FDA
A highly specific test will identify most people who truly do not have antibodies, and a small number of people without antibodies may be identified as having antibodies by the test (false positives).
The FDA included information about test performance expectations for SARS-CoV-2 serology tests in the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) serology templates. For information on authorized serology test performance, see EUA Authorized Serology Test Performance.
Q: What does predictive value mean in SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing?
A: Predictive values are probabilities calculated using a test's sensitivity and specificity, and an assumption about the percentage of individuals in the population who have antibodies at a given time (which is called "prevalence" in these calculations).
Positive predictive value is the probability that a person who has a positive test result truly has antibodies. Positive predictive values for SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests are impacted by how common SARS-CoV-2 antibodies are in the population being tested at a certain time.
The lower the prevalence, the lower the positive predictive value. This means that SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests used in areas with low prevalence (small number of people that have SARS-CoV-2 antibodies) will have a positive predictive value lower than in an area with higher prevalence.
Low positive predictive value may lead to more individuals with a false positive result. This could mean that individuals may not have developed antibodies to the virus even though the test indicated that they had. If a high positive predictive value cannot be achieved with a single test result, two tests may be used together to help identify individuals who may truly be SARS-CoV-2 antibody positive.
Negative predictive value is the probability that a person who has a negative test result truly does not have antibodies. Negative predictive values for SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests are also impacted by how common SARS-CoV-2 antibodies are in the population being tested at a certain time. Negative predictive value is higher in areas with low prevalence and lower in areas with high prevalence.
Clinical Care Quick Reference for COVID-19 | CDC
Reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19 means a person was infected, recovered, and then later became infected again.
Most people will have some protection from reinfection, but the emergence of variants (new strains of the virus) can increase the risk of reinfection.

Get more details: Reinfections and COVID-19


	Last Updated May 22, 2024	Source: 	National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases

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Coronavirus FAQs: What Veterans Need To Know | Veterans Affairs
Our Annie text messaging service can help you monitor your symptoms
This service can advise you when to contact your VA care team or your facility’s advice nurse. It also provides general wellness tips and steps you can take to protect yourself. You can ask your VA care team to assign the service to you. Or, you can subscribe to Annie coronavirus precautions messages yourself. 
Subscribe to Annie coronavirus precautions messages

First, know that you're not alone. We're here for you. Concerns about COVID-19 can be stressful for many people. You can take steps to manage stress and get support.

Stay connected and healthy. Connect with friends and family by phone and social media if you can't gather in person. Follow your normal routine as much as possible, and get enough sleep and exercise. 
Learn more about getting a COVID-19 vaccine. You can get answers to your questions and learn how to get a vaccine at VA on our main vaccine page.
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines at VA
Keep your existing mental health appointments. If you need or want to request telehealth (phone or video) appointments, ask your care team about your options.
Send your VA provider a secure message
Ask for a new mental health appointment. If you need same-day mental health care—or want to request a new appointment—call your local VA health facility. 
Find a VA location to request a mental health appointment

Get more VA tips for maintaining your mental health
Learn more about managing stress on the CDC website 

There is no cure for COVID-19 at this time. There are treatments for COVID-19, but the risk of severe illness and death are still high in certain groups of people. 
Talk to your health care provider before taking any medications to prevent or treat COVID-19. 
If you have questions about a treatment, call or send a secure message to your VA provider.
Learn more about COVID-19 treatments on the CDC website
Get answers to COVID-19 treatment questions on the FDA website
COVID-19 Testing: What You Need to Know | CDC
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Post-COVID Conditions: Information for Healthcare Providers
6-month consequences of COVID-19 in patients discharged from hospital: a cohort study. Lancet. 2021 Jan 16;397(10270):220-232. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32656-8
Pavli A, Theodoridou M, Maltezou HC. Post-COVID syndrome: Incidence, clinical spectrum, and challenges for primary healthcare professionals. Arch Med Res. 2021 May 4. doi:10.1016/j.arcmed.2021.03.010
Cabrera Martimbianco AL, Pacheco RL, Bagattini ÂM, et al. Frequency, signs and symptoms, and criteria adopted for long COVID: a systematic review. Int J Clin Pract. 2021 May 11:e14357. doi:10.1111/ijcp.14357
Rando HM, Bennett TD, Byrd JB, et al. Challenges in defining Long COVID: Striking differences across literature, Electronic Health Records, and patient-reported information. medRxiv. 2021 Mar 26. doi:10.1101/2021.03.20.21253896
Office of National Statistics. Update on long COVID prevalence estimate. Accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/962830/s1079-ons-update-on-long-covid-prevalence-estimate.pdf
Buonsenso D, Munblit D, De Rose C, et al. Preliminary evidence on long COVID in children. Acta Paediatr. 2021 Apr 9. doi:10.1111/apa.15870
Say D, Crawford N, McNab S, et al. Post-acute COVID-19 outcomes in children with mild and asymptomatic disease. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2021 Apr 20.
Post-COVID Conditions: Information for Healthcare Providers
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Nalbandian A, Sehgal K, Gupta A, Madhavan MV, et al. Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. Nat Med. 2021 Apr;27(4):601-615. doi:10.1038/s41591-021-01283-z
Policy Brief 39 – In the Wake of the Pandemic Preparing for Long COVID. Accessed at: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/339629/Policy-brief-39-1997-8073-eng.pdf
Huang Y, Pinto MD, Borelli JL, et al. COVID Symptoms, Symptom Clusters, and Predictors for Becoming a Long-Hauler: Looking for Clarity in the Haze of the Pandemic. medRxiv. 2021 Mar 5. doi: 10.1101/2021.03.03.21252086
Havervall S, Rosell A, Phillipson M, Mangsbo SM, Nilsson P, Hober S, Thålin C. Symptoms and Functional Impairment Assessed 8 Months After Mild COVID-19 Among Health Care Workers. JAMA. 2021 Apr 7. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.5612
Office of National Statistics. Prevalence of ongoing symptoms following coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in the UK: 1 April 2021. Accessed at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/prevalenceofongoingsymptomsfollowingcoronaviruscovid19infectionintheuk/1april2021
Chevinsky JR, Tao G, Lavery AM, et al. Late conditions diagnosed 1-4 months following an initial COVID-19 encounter: a matched cohort study using inpatient and outpatient administrative data – United States, March 1-June 30, 2020. Clin Infect Dis. 2021 Apr 28. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciab338
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Triage of Suspected COVID-19 Patients in non-US Healthcare Settings: Early Identification and Prevention of Transmission during Triage | CDC
Clear communication and training of healthcare facility staff is essential to ensure triage process is implemented correctly to prevent COVID-19 transmission among patients and healthcare workers

On This SOP:

1. Background/Purpose2. What healthcare facilities can do to minimize risk of infection among patients and healthcare workersWhat healthcare workers (HCWs) can do to protect themselves and their patients during triage 

4. Additional considerations for triage during periods of community transmission5. References 

1. Background/Purpose
This document is intended for healthcare facilities that are receiving or are preparing to receive patients with suspected or confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This includes healthcare facilities providing either inpatient or outpatient services.  It should be used to guide implementation of procedures at triage that can be effective at preventing transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19 virus) to patients and healthcare workers (HCWs). This document was developed based on current COVID-19 data and experience with other respiratory viruses and will be updated further more information becomes available.
What is triage
“The sorting out and classification of patients or casualties to determine priority of need and proper place of treatment.”1 During infectious disease outbreaks, triage is particularly important to separate patients likely to be infected with the pathogen of concern. This triage SOP is developed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and does not replace any routine clinical triage SOPs in place in healthcare facilities (e.g. Manchester triage system or equivalent2) to categorize patients into different urgency categories.
COVID-19 transmission
COVID-19 spreads when an infected person breathes out droplets and very small particles that contain the virus. These droplets and particles can be breathed in by other people or land on their eyes, noses, or mouth. In some circumstances, they may contaminate surfaces they touch. People who are closer to the infected person are most likely to get infected. For more information on SARSCoV-2 transmission, refer to COVID-19 Data & Surveillance.
2.