You wake up with a raw, scratchy, painful throat. Is this just a minor annoyance from a cold or the dry winter air in your apartment? Or is it strep throat, the highly contagious bacterial infection that requires antibiotics?
Telling the difference is key to getting the right treatment. And in NYC, you don’t have to go to a clinic to find out. You can get a rapid strep test right in your own home.
Strep Throat vs. A Typical Sore Throat
A common sore throat is most often caused by a virus (like the common cold).
- Symptoms: It’s usually mild to moderate, feels scratchy, and comes with other cold symptoms like a runny nose, cough, and watery eyes.
- Treatment: Antibiotics will not work. Treatment is focused on rest, hydration, and symptom relief.
Strep throat is an infection in the throat and tonsils caused by Streptococcus bacteria.
- Symptoms: It’s known for a rapid, severe onset of throat pain. Other classic signs include:
- Pain when swallowing
- Fever (often 101°F or higher)
- Swollen, red tonsils, sometimes with white patches
- Tiny red spots on the roof of the mouth
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
- Notably, a cough is usually absent.
- Treatment: Strep throat requires antibiotics to kill the bacteria, relieve symptoms, and prevent complications.
Why You Need a Test
You can’t diagnose strep throat just by looking. The only way to know for sure is with a test.
Guessing is a bad idea. If you take antibiotics for a viral sore throat, you risk side effects and antibiotic resistance. If you don’t take antibiotics for strep, you risk the infection getting worse or spreading to others.
The At-Home Rapid Strep Test
This is where at-home care from Sickday.com changes the game. Why go to an urgent care clinic when the clinic can come to you?
- Book a Visit: Schedule a visit online for your sore throat symptoms.
- A Practitioner Comes to You: A certified medical practitioner arrives at your NYC home or office.
- Get Tested: They will perform a rapid antigen test (a simple throat swab). The process is quick and you’ll have results in about 10-15 minutes.
- Get a Treatment Plan:
- If your test is positive for strep, our practitioner can write a prescription for antibiotics immediately and send it to your preferred pharmacy.
- If your test is negative, they will provide a treatment plan to help you manage your viral sore throat symptoms.
It’s the “test-to-treat” model in the comfort of your own living room.
Stop guessing and get a clear answer. Book a visit now through our website for at-home evaluation and testing.
