Which Tests are Available for Detecting COVID-19?

If you find out that you have been in close contact with someone who may have been COVID positive or you are experiencing symptoms yourself, your first question may be to find out which tests are available for detecting COVID-19.

Sometimes, you don’t even have symptoms or have been compromised in some way but you need to take the test to attend an event or go back to work in the office. Either way, you want to know more about what the tests are that can help you detect COVID-19.

This article will help you figure out what test to take and what are the differences between them so that you can be informed better about the testing technology that best suits your needs.

Two Main Types of Viral Testing Technologies for COVID-19

If you haven’t ever been tested for COVID-19 before and the tests available confuse you, know that there are two main types of testing tech used for detecting COVID-19. According to the OECD or the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, these two are the Molecular Testing type and the Rapid Antigen Testing Type.

We’ll be covering what those two are below.

Molecular Testing Type

Molecular tests are the main reference that people can use to figure out if there is a current or active infection of COVID-19 in a person. RT-PCR tests in particular are very reliable in determining that as the tests go through a lab which takes a few days before results can come back and are costlier to enact, but they are more reliable than other testing types.

This type of testing is not something that you can do at home and a health professional would conduct this for you. The results can release faster if the lab that the test is sent to is in the same place where it’s taken. However, if it is sent to an external lab, then it will likely take a few days.

Rapid Antigen Tests

Rapid antigen tests are also able to detect current infections of COVID-19. The great thing about a rapid antigen test like the Healgen COVID test is that you can administer them at point-of-care, they’re affordable, and there are also self-tests available.

If you’re positive from an antigen test, that means that you currently have the infection. One issue though is that rapid antigen tests have a moderate level of sensitivity so there can be cases of false negatives. Depending on the situation, a healthcare professional might recommend an RT-PCR test despite getting a negative result from a rapid antigen test.

Which Tests Are Best for Detecting COVID-19?

Both the RT-PCR test and the Antigen test can detect COVID-19. If any of them produce a positive result, there is a current infection of COVID-19. However, there are best use cases between using the Molecular testing vs. a Rapid Antigen test.

Molecular Testing is Best Used in the Following Circumstances:

If you are showing symptoms or have come into contact with a confirmed positive case for COVID-19, then it’s best to do molecular testing to ensure that you don’t have it.
If you are a patient that’s about to go into a hospital procedure or are in a clinical setting, then RT-PCR is a better choice due to the fewer likelihood of getting misdiagnosed.
If you simply want to get the most accurate result possible and have the time to wait, then this is a better choice.

Point-of-Care Rapid Antigen Tests are Best Used in the Following Circumstances:

For mass testing or screening operations, rapid antigen tests are the best choice because of how fast results can come out.
If you’re symptomatic and want to know if you have the infection, an antigen test can be sufficient enough to show you if you have it or not.

Conclusion

Now that you know what are the main types of testing done to help detect COVID-19, you should be more knowledgeable about what test is most helpful for your needs and more. Don’t forget to consult with health professionals when you can so that you stay informed at all times of what to do to adequately and safely deal with COVID-19.