Different Routes To The Same Goal The Screening Process For Covid-19

Press release: 18 November, 2021: In the course of the Covid-19 crisis the importance of reliable, accessible testing to screen for the illness has become more apparent. There are two types of Covid-19 tests which are antigen and antibody. Both use different samples to identify SARS-CoV-2 virus. Medical Device Network examines the various types of Covid-19 tests.

What are the various types of tests Covid-19?

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are sent away for analysis by a lab in order to identify diseases.

Lateral flow tests (LFTs) can diagnose Covid-19 right on the spot However, they aren't as precise as PCR tests

Although they cannot diagnose active infection, antibody (or serology test) can be used to determine whether one is infected with Covid-19.

What is PCR testing?

Tests using PCR can be used to determine the presence of virus-related RNA. This can allow to detect the virus in the body before the development of antibodies or the manifestation of symptoms. This means that tests can determine if a person has the virus at an early point when they are ill.

Covid-19 PCR testing is a way to add substances called reverse transcriptionase as well as DNA polymerase in a nasopharyngeal specimen taken in a laboratory. They work to create many copies of any viral RNA that may be present. This ensures that enough copies of any virus are present to provide an outcome that is positive. To indicate the presence of a pathogen, specially designed probes and primers are attached to the viral sequences and its genetic code.

"PCR can give us an indicator of who's infected," says University of Sussex microbiology senior lecturer Dr Edward Wright. "They are able to be isolated and be in contact with those they've been in touch with, so they could be quarantined too to be prepared in case. This is one of the major advantages of the current diagnostic tests: you can break down the transmission chain and gain a better picture of what's going on.

By expanding PCR testing to screen vast portions of nasopharyngeal samples from within a population, public health officials can get a clearer picture of the distribution of a disease such as Covid-19.

But, PCR has its limitations. These kinds of מעבדות קורונה, however, need to be sent to a laboratory to be analyzed. It may take a few days to receive their results.

False negatives are possible as high as 30 percent of the time when using different PCR tests, meaning they're better at confirming existence of an infection than giving patients the all-clear. They can also provide false positive results because they're so sensitive they can possibly indicate a positive outcome after detecting dead, deactivated virus within the body of someone who is recovering from Covid-19.

Since the outbreak, the PCR tests have been improved from the initial testing procedures and with the addition of increased automation in order to decrease the chance of errors. We are now examining swabs of people who could have other bacteria. It is a question of what the results we are receiving are true.

LetsFly

https://letsfly.co.il/