COVID-19 testing is a common method for learning your health status after interacting with infected individuals, or for when you feel symptoms but are unsure whether you have the virus. However, multiple COVID tests exist, which can make the choice seem confusing. Don’t worry; you can use the list below to begin understanding the different types of COVID-19 tests.
Rapid Antigen Tests
As the name suggests, this test is the speediest option available. It’s a convenient test when you want prompt results. For instance, if you visit our Raleigh COVID testing facility, we can get you results in around 16 minutes. Although false positives can occur with antigen tests, health care providers can follow recommended FDA guidelines to minimize the chances of inaccurate results.
Antibody Tests
The human body develops antibodies to protect us from viruses, and COVID is no exception. This is not only a wonderful system in our bodies but also a method for identifying COVID. Results can take days to arrive, but they’ll help you understand your current level of immunity against the virus. In other words, the antibody test will help you learn if you recently had the virus rather than identify if you had it at the moment of the test.
Understanding the different types of COVID-19 tests helps patients quickly identify the tests they need. Luckily, as you’ll learn below, you can find a more accurate test for determining whether you currently have the virus.
PCR Tests
If you want the most accurate COVID test available, then you want the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. The results will take days to arrive instead of minutes, but you can rest easy knowing that the extra time translates to more reliable results. The FDA has an excellent resource online to help you learn more about PCR tests on a scientific level, but simply put, this molecular test analyzes your sample for COVID’s RNA. If the test can track down and amplify the RNA in your sample, that’s a sign you have the virus.
Now that you have a better understanding of the tests available, you can act swiftly and more confidently if you think you have COVID.
