COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that can cause serious illness, especially in people with health problems such as diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure.
Two types of tests are commonly used to test for current infection with SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus that causes COVID-19).
The first category is polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, also called diagnostic tests or molecular tests. These can help diagnose COVID-19 by testing the genetic material of the coronavirus. The PCR test is regarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the gold standard for diagnosis.
The second is the antigen test. These help diagnose COVID-19 by searching for certain molecules found on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The quick test is a COVID-19 test that can provide results in as little as 15 minutes and does not require laboratory analysis. These usually take the form of antigen testing.
Although rapid tests can provide quick results, they are not as accurate as PCR tests analyzed in the laboratory. Read on to learn about the accuracy of rapid tests and when to use them instead of PCR tests.
A rapid COVID-19 test usually provides results within a few minutes, without the need for an expert to analyze it in the laboratory.
Most rapid tests are antigen tests, and sometimes the two terms can be used interchangeably. However, the CDC no longer uses the term “fast” to describe antigen testing because the FDA has also approved laboratory-based antigen testing.
During the test, you or a medical professional will insert a cotton swab into your nose, throat, or both to collect mucus and cells. If you test positive for COVID-19, your sample will usually be applied to a strip that changes color.
Although these tests provide quick results, they are not as accurate as laboratory tests because they require more virus in your sample to report a positive result. Quick tests have a high risk of giving false negative results.
A March 2021 study review reviewed the results of 64 studies that evaluated the test accuracy of commercially produced rapid antigen or molecular tests.
Researchers have found that the accuracy of the test varies greatly. This is their discovery.
For people with COVID-19 symptoms, an average of 72% of the tests correctly gave positive results. The 95% confidence interval is 63.7% to 79%, which means that the researcher is 95% confident that the average falls between these two values.
Researchers found that people without COVID-19 symptoms correctly tested positive in 58.1% of rapid tests. The 95% confidence interval is 40.2% to 74.1%.
When the rapid test was performed within the first week of symptoms, it more accurately provided a positive COVID-19 result. Researchers found that in the first week, an average of 78.3% of the cases, the rapid test correctly identified COVID-19.
Coris Bioconcept scored the worst, correctly providing a positive COVID-19 result in only 34.1% of cases. SD Biosensor STANDARD Q scored the highest and correctly identified a positive COVID-19 result in 88.1% of people.
In another study published in April 2021, researchers compared the accuracy of four COVID-19 rapid antigen tests. Researchers found that all four tests correctly identified positive cases of COVID-19 approximately half the time, and negative cases of COVID-19 were correctly identified almost all of the time.
Quick tests rarely give false positive results. A false positive is when you have not actually tested positive for COVID-19.
In a review of the aforementioned studies in March 2021, the researchers found that the rapid test correctly gave a positive COVID-19 result in 99.6% of people.
Although the probability of obtaining a false negative result is relatively high, the rapid COVID-19 test has several advantages compared to the PCR test.
Many airports, arenas, theme parks, and other crowded areas provide rapid COVID-19 testing to screen for potential positive cases. Rapid tests will not detect all COVID-19 cases, but they can at least detect some cases that would otherwise be overlooked.
If your quick test shows that you are not infected with the coronavirus but do have symptoms of COVID-19, you may receive a false negative result. It is best to confirm your negative result with a more accurate PCR test.
PCR tests are usually more accurate than quick tests. CT scans are rarely used to diagnose COVID-19. Antigen testing can be used to diagnose past infections.
The PCR covid test is still the gold standard for diagnosing COVID-19. A study in January 2021 found that the mucus PCR test correctly diagnosed COVID-19 in 97.2% of cases.
CT scans are not usually used to diagnose COVID-19, but they can potentially identify COVID-19 by identifying lung problems. However, they are not as practical as other tests, and it is difficult to rule out other types of respiratory infections.
The same study in January 2021 found that CT scans correctly identified positive COVID-19 cases 91.9% of the time, but only 25.1% of the time correctly identified negative COVID-19 cases.
Antibody tests look for proteins produced by your immune system, called antibodies, which indicate past coronavirus infections. Specifically, they look for antibodies called IgM and IgG. Antibody tests cannot diagnose current coronavirus infections.
The January 2021 study found that IgM and IgG antibody tests correctly identified the presence of these antibodies in 84.5% and 91.6% of cases, respectively.
If you think you have COVID-19, you should isolate yourself from others as soon as possible. The CDC continues to recommend isolation for 14 days, unless you have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus or have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 3 months.
However, if your test result is negative on or after the 5th day, your local public health department may recommend that you be quarantined for 10 days or quarantine for 7 days.
Studies have shown that the rapid COVID-19 test is most accurate in the first week after symptoms appear.
With a quick test, the risk of getting a false negative result is relatively high. For people with symptoms, there is about a 25% chance of getting a false negative. For people without symptoms, the risk is about 40%. On the other hand, the false positive rate given by the rapid test is less than 1%.
The rapid COVID-19 test may be a useful initial test to determine if you have the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. However, if you have symptoms and your rapid test result is negative, it is best to confirm your results with a PCR test.
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Post time: Jun-21-2021