COVID Virus + Flu

Frequently Asked Patient Questions

Bako Diagnostics understands the importance our lab plays in the safety of the public, patients, healthcare providers and our employees.

This page offers answers to frequently asked patient questions. You can also view our Fact Sheet for Patients.

While COVID-19 and influenza (the flu) are both contagious respiratory illnesses, there are some key differences. COVID-19 spreads more easily than the flu and causes more serious illnesses in some people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There are also similarities in the symptoms of COVID-19 and the flu. The CDC recommends getting tested if you experience mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Other symptom similarities between COVID-19 and the flu include, fatigue or tiredness, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle pain or body aches and headache.

If you have any reason to suspect you have COVID-19, it’s important to reach out to your doctor or another authorized healthcare provider for guidance on where to get tested in your community. Additional information is available through the CDC at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/index.html.

BakoDx does not collect COVID-19 test specimens at the lab, we only perform the test on specimens collected by a healthcare provider.

Patients: Please do not go to the BakoDx lab for COVID-19 testing. Contact an authorized healthcare provider for testing services.  BakoDx will process the specimens collected by your clinician.

If it is determined that COVID-19 testing is needed, your healthcare provider will collect your specimen (for example, nose or throat swab). Your specimens will then be sent to a lab, such as BakoDx, for testing. Laboratory performs COVID-19 diagnostic test and sends results back to your healthcare provider.

No. If you suspect you have COVID-19, contact your doctor or an authorized healthcare provider. If testing is right for you, your doctor will direct you where to go to be tested.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html

If you have a positive test result for the presence of influenza A and/or influenza B viruses, it is very likely that you have the flu.

If you have a positive result for an influenza virus, your healthcare provider will determine the best way to care for you based on the test results along with other factors in your medical history.

There is a very small chance that this test can give a positive result that is wrong (a false positive result).

Based on these test results, your medical history and your symptoms, your healthcare provider will work with you to determine how best to care for you.

It is possible for an individual to be infected with influenza A virus, influenza B virus, and/or SARS-CoV-2 virus at the same time.

Based on these test results, your medical history and your symptoms, your healthcare provider will work with you to determine how best to care for you.

A negative test result means that proteins from the virus that causes COVID-19 or influenza were not found in your sample. However, it is possible for this test to give a negative result that is incorrect (false negative) in some people with COVID-19 or influenza.

You might test negative if the sample was collected early during your infection. You could also be exposed to COVID-19 after your sample was collected and then have become infected. This means that you could possibly still have COVID-19 or influenza even though the test result is negative. If your test is negative, your healthcare provider will consider the test result together with all other aspects of your medical history (such as symptoms, possible exposures, and geographical location of places you have recently traveled) in deciding how to care for you.

It is important that you work with your healthcare provider to help you understand the next steps you should take.

Turnaround time for COVID-19 testing is typically 1-2 days from the time the specimen arrives at our laboratory, but due to the high demand, this may vary.

Confirm that your healthcare provider is sending your test specimens to BakoDx. If so, your test results can be automatically sent to the healthcare provider.

Yes, BakoDx is a biosafety level 2 laboratory and follows strict personal and environmental hygiene protocols, which have been further strengthened and reinforced with all employees since the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak. BakoDx is a national, CLIA licensed, CAP accredited, innovative laboratory that offers molecular and anatomic pathology, and microbiology services. The test is offered under all required governmental licensing and regulations.

COVID-19 Test Statements:

This test has been authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for use by authorized laboratories, such as BakoDx.

This test has been authorized only for the detection of nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2, not for any other viruses or pathogen.

This test is only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of in vitro diagnostic tests for detection and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 under Section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner.