Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2019, nations worldwide have been trying their best to combat the fast spread and deaths caused by the disease. With more and more studies into the disease, various ways of testing are now available to determine if a person is infected with the virus or not. These tests are based on mucus, saliva, or blood.
So, what types of Covid-19 tests are there and which one should you take? Let’s find out.
How many types of Covid-19 Tests are there?
As of now, there are 3 types of Covid-19 tests available in medical facilities. Their use depends on the goal as in what needs to be determined in a particular individual’s case. These tests can be used to determine if a person has an active Covid-19 infection, if a person without symptoms is shedding the virus, or if a person has had Covid-19 previously.
The end goal of the test is essential to decide which test is right for an individual.
1. PCR Test: Also called the molecular or RNA test, PCR tests are the most accurate tests to determine an active infection. The most common in the fields currently, PCR tests are done by testing the mucus of a person. A sample of the mucus is collected by a health care provider through a nasopharyngeal swab which goes through the nose to the back of the throat. Since the nose swab can be a little uncomfortable for people, saliva is also taken by many professionals in place of mucus. The turnaround time for these can be anywhere from minutes to days.
With test-at-home kits, you can also collect your own swab sample and send it to professional laboratories like The Carlson Company for results.
2. Antigen Test: Antigen tests are also called rapid tests because these produce results in a very short time as compared to PCR tests. These are ideally used at places like airports where a large number of people are to be tested for infection in a limited time. The procedure is the same where a professional collects the swab sample from the nose and sends it for analysis. Antigen tests are cheaper than PCR tests and very accurate. However, antigen tests may miss out on active infections. In order to rule out a false negative, it is best to take a PCR test.
3. Antibody Test: This is a blood test that is based on the presence of antibodies in a person’s system. While these tests cannot confirm if someone has an active infection but they can detect if there has been an infection in the past. In this test, blood is drawn out from a vein or finger prick by a healthcare professional and sent for analysis, results of which can take days to come.
If you are planning to get a test done for Covid-19 or looking to buy home test kits then you can order yours on The Carlson Company. The collection is simple and we are making sure that kits are available to everyone during these testing times. Make sure you and your family are safe from the coronavirus.
To order your testing kits online, visit COVID-19 Confirmation Test (Corona Virus). The test is offered as an RT-PCR home collection Test kit. The nasal swab specimen is collected at home and shipped to our affiliated labs for analysis. The results will show either positive or negative. CDC will be notified with positive results.
