The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has positioned the world in a tailspin, which the healthcare industry has responded to in kind with the development and fast deployment of tests designed to detect infection. Many of these tests assist clinicians and researchers accurately establish extreme acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus accountable for COVID-19.
And while these tests have been crucial in figuring out and tracking cases of infection and illness-related morbidity and mortality, they aren’t without their potential drawbacks.
Types of COVID-19 Tests
Several new methods have been developed to diagnose COVID-19, many of which have their own various strategies of administration and distinctive benefits:
Rapid, point-of-care diagnostic tests: These tests, which may be categorized as either antigen or molecular tests, rely on a mucus pattern obtained from the throat or nose and is analyzed at a clinic or physician’s office. Results from these tests can often be available within minutes of analysis.
At-dwelling collection tests: Tests performed at house are only available by a physician’s prescription. These tests permit the affected person to self-acquire a sample of their dwelling and ship it to a lab for analysis.
Saliva tests: These tests rely on samples from sufferers who spit right into a tube versus getting their throat or nose swabbed. For some people, saliva tests could also be more comfortable and likewise safer, especially for frontline healthcare workers.
Diagnostic Tests: Molecular vs Antigen Tests
There are essential types of COVID-19 tests – diagnostic tests and antibody tests. Diagnostic tests embody molecular tests, reminiscent of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and antigen tests.
Getting a test for COVID-19 can be challenging for some folks, particularly considering the fast evolution on testing steering on testing options. While each test options its own limitations, molecular tests are perhaps the best strategies available.
Below is an summary of these completely different tests, together with what they can do to establish the disease and their limitations.
RT-PCR
The RT-PCR is the most typical test that’s steadily used to detect the virus’s genetic material within the body. Using this test, patients can know whether or not or not they’ve an active COVID-19 an infection and can adjust their lifestyle accordingly (i.e., quarantine).
Pros
Minimally invasive – carried out utilizing nasal swabs, throat swabs and tests of saliva or different bodily fluids
Permits for social distancing – while some molecular tests, including RT-PCR, are sometimes conducted at a hospital or clinic, swabs can also be taken from the affected person’s automotive or at dwelling
Fewer false negatives in some instances – deep nasal swabs may have fewer false negatives compared with other tests, akin to throat swabs or saliva tests
Cons
Long turnaround occasions – in some instances, RT-PCR tests can yield leads to the identical day or within one to two days, but test results taking up to one to 2 weeks have been reported during the pandemic
False negatives – molecular tests have been shown to produce outcomes that say the patient doesn’t have the virus once they truly do; the rates of false-positives have ranged from 2% to 37%
Uncomfortable for some folks – deep nasal swabs could be uncomfortable for some people, especially small children
Antigen Tests
Antigen tests, which are carried out utilizing a nasal or throat swab, help detect specific protein fragments residing on the surface of the virus. These tests function a high false-negative rate, nevertheless, resulting in many clinicians ordering molecular testing for patients with negative antigen tests who display the traditional signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
Pros
Speedy results: The test makes use of technology much like that used in a pregnancy test and yields results within minutes
Cons
Carried out at a hospital or clinic: At-house antigen tests aren’t widely available, so patients typically have to journey to a hospital or clinic to have this test carried out
High false-negative rate: Antigen tests produce higher false-negative rates than molecular RT-PCR tests, with some proof suggesting rates as high as 50%
Antibody Tests
Antibody tests look for specific antibodies generated by the immune system in response to a virus, including SARS-CoV-2. Antibodies are proteins that the body produces to combat active invading viruses and active infections. This test can also be known as a serological test, blood test and serology test and involves taking a pattern with a finger stick or blood draw.
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