Your questions, answered "If someone is fully vaccinated and later develops a respiratory infection, should that person get a covid test?" — Deborah in Pennsylvania It wouldn't be a bad idea. Federal health authorities and public health experts still recommend testing for people — even those who are fully vaccinated — if they have symptoms of covid-19, which include headache, fatigue, fever, body aches, cough, difficulty breathing, and loss of taste or smell, among other things. Testing would be especially appropriate for people who are immunocompromised or have other underlying conditions, since even those who are vaccinated might not have responded optimally to the coronavirus vaccine, said William Schaffner, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. "We would want to know if they do have a covid infection so we could treat them appropriately," he said. Parents of children too young to be vaccinated as well as people who are caring for the elderly or others at higher risk for complications would also benefit from knowing whether they have been infected, he said. In fact, Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases and preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University, said he anticipates once influenza season begins this fall, there will be quite a bit of testing to determine whether people who are symptomatic have the flu, covid-19 or other respiratory viruses. For those who need a test, there are two types used to diagnose current infections — molecular tests and antigen tests. Antigen tests are usually faster but can be less accurate. Molecular tests, specifically polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, are the gold standard, but it usually takes longer to see results. All of that said, there are some scenarios in which a test is not necessary at all. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said fully vaccinated people without any symptoms of covid-19 do not need to take a test, even after exposure to someone who has been diagnosed with the virus. So, to answer your question: If you have been fully vaccinated and you start showing symptoms of an upper respiratory infection, you should first contact your doctor, who may want to test you not only for coronavirus but also for other viruses such as influenza. If your doctor cannot perform a test in the office, he or she should be able to authorize the test and then direct you to a nearby testing center. If you do not have an established physician, you may be able to go to a testing station run by your local health department, hospital, urgent care or other medical facility. | 
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