COVID-19 Information for Our Patients in Magnolia, TX & Vintage Park

Medella Urgent Care stands ready to help our community through any public health crisis, and the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is no exception. If you are exhibiting symptoms such as fever, persistent coughing, and shortness of breath, please come in and get tested.

It is important to note that COVID-19 symptoms can be very similar to the symptoms of influenza and other respiratory viruses, and most people who experience flu-like symptoms are not infected with the novel coronavirus.

How To Know If You Have Coronavirus

For reasons that are not yet fully understood within the medical community, COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. There is no way to know for sure how it could affect you.

Some people who are infected with the novel coronavirus remain completely unaware of it, while others experience only mild illness. In some people, however, COVID-19 causes very severe and potentially life-threatening symptoms that may require hospitalization and the use of a ventilator.

For these reasons, it is important for everyone to self-monitor for signs of COVID-19 during the pandemic. Usually, when symptoms develop, they appear between two and 14 days after exposure to the virus.

Here’s What To Watch For

In addition to fever, persistent coughing, and shortness of breath, a COVID-19 infection can cause:

• General fatigue
• Chills
• Muscle and body aches
• Sore throat
• Nasal congestion or a runny nose
• Headache
• A new loss of taste or smell
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea

Here’s What To Do If You Think You Have Coronavirus

If you have COVID-19 symptoms, or if you recently had close contact with someone who was infected with the novel coronavirus, here’s what to do: You should immediately self-isolate and contact Medella Urgent Care.

COVID-19 Genetic Testing

We offer curbside COVID-19 genetic testing services at our clinics in Magnolia, Texas, and Vintage Park. During the testing process, you will remain safely in your vehicle at all times.

This test for an active COVID-19 infection involves a nasopharyngeal swab (which is a method of collecting a sample of nasal secretions from the back of your nose and throat).

When your test is complete, your sample will be sent to a lab, where it will be evaluated for COVID-19. We will contact you to discuss your test results as soon as they are available. The cost of coronavirus genetic testing is covered by most insurance plans, and is $175 without insurance.

COVID-19 Antigen Testing

We offer rapid in-house COVID-19 antigen testing services at our clinics in Magnolia, Texas, and Vintage Park.

This test for an active COVID-19 infection involves a nasopharyngeal swab, which is immediately processed on site using Quidel Corporation’s Sofia 2 SARS Antigen FIA. Within minutes, this diagnostic test can detect the virus that causes COVID-19.

The cost of coronavirus antigen testing is covered by most insurance plans, and is $175 without insurance.

COVID-19 Antibody Testing

We offer COVID-19 antibody testing to detect the presence of antibodies which would indicate either a past or current COVID-19 infection, whether or not symptoms were felt during the infection. Patients with symptoms of active infection should receive COVID-19 genetic testing either alone or in tandem with COVID-19 antibody testing.

No prior authorization is required to receive COVID-19 antibody testing in Magnolia, Texas, and Vintage Park. The cost of antibody testing is $75, and the results are typically available within 15 minutes.

What If You Are Diagnosed With COVID-19?

As of now, there is no cure for COVID-19. To minimize the risk of infecting others, it is essential to stay home until you have fully recovered and are no longer contagious. You should rest, stay well-hydrated, and promptly report any symptom changes to your provider. Severe COVID-19 symptoms such as difficulty breathing may require hospitalization.

COVID-19 Resources

For the latest information on confirmed COVID-19 cases in the local areas of our clinics, the state of Texas, our nation, and the world, Medella Urgent Care suggests the following online resources:

• Montgomery County COVID-19 case counts regularly updated by the Montgomery County Texas Public Health Department:

https://coronavirus-response-moco.hub.arcgis.com/

• Harris County COVID-19 case counts regularly updated by the Harris County Texas Public Health Department:

http://publichealth.harriscountytx.gov/Resources/2019-Novel-Coronavirus

• Texas COVID-19 case counts regularly updated by the Texas Department of State Health Services:

https://txdshs.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/ed483ecd702b4298ab01e8b9cafc8b83

• U.S. COVID-19 case counts regularly updated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html

• Worldwide COVID-19 case counts regularly updated by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University:

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

We’re Here for You

Whether you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, would like to learn about COVID-19 prevention strategies, or you have an unrelated, non-life-threatening illness or injury, Medella Urgent Care is here for you. In addition to our full range of urgent care services, we’re pleased to offer COVID-19 genetic testing, COVID-19 antigen testing, and COVID-19 antibody testing at both of our clinics serving residents of Magnolia and the Vintage Park/northwest Houston areas. Contact us or stop by today to learn more. We are open every day with evening hours.