Flu & COVID Testing and Respiratory Illness Care

If you're running a fever, coughing or nursing a sore throat and want to know whether it's flu or COVID, Clínica Hispana Nueva Salud Hammerly in Spring Branch runs rapid tests for both viruses and checks how your lungs sound. We treat children and adults across Houston for flu, bronchitis and other airway infections.

How is the flu and COVID sample collected?

1. We take your temperature and vital signs and listen to your lungs.
2. A thin swab collects a sample from your nose; it feels odd for a few seconds but doesn't hurt.
3. The sample is run in the clinic with rapid tests.
4. With the result in hand, the medical team tells you which virus it is and what treatment fits.

Why does it matter which virus you have?

Because the plan changes. Flu has antiviral medicines that work best when started early, right as symptoms begin, so waiting to see whether it passes isn't a great idea. With COVID, the team checks for risk factors that might call for a specific treatment. Either way, we explain how to protect the rest of your household so the bug doesn't make the rounds.

What other breathing problems do we look at?

• A cough that lingers after a cold, with phlegm or wheezing
• Bronchitis and discomfort when you take a deep breath
• Blocked sinuses with pain in your face or upper teeth
• A sore throat with white patches, which may call for a strep test
• Coughing spells in people with asthma or allergies, also handled under allergy care

Antibiotics only work on bacteria, so the medical team prescribes them only when there's a bacterial infection. If treatment is needed, we send the prescription electronically to whichever pharmacy is most convenient for you and tell you which over-the-counter products help with fever and congestion.

Which warning signs mean going to the ER?

Blue lips or fingernails, shortness of breath at rest, strong chest pain, confusion, or a baby who won't feed or is hard to wake: for any of these, call 911 or head to an emergency room.

For everything else, don't let the cough drag on. Come see us at Hammerly Blvd today; we're open Sundays too.