COVID-19 PCR Testing Questions and Answers

COVID-19 PCR tests are also known as molecular tests, this particular COVID-19 test detects the genetic material of the virus using a lab technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

During this test, a fluid sample is collected by inserting a long nasal swab into your nostril and taking fluid from the back of your nose or by using a shorter nasal swab to get a sample. Results are usually available within minutes if analyzed onsite or within a few hours after. Test processing might have delays dependent on the number of PCR tests that are done each day. COVID-19 PCR lab tests are extremely accurate when properly performed by a healthcare professional like ours at Urgent Care & Wellness Center in Lutz, FL.

COVID-19 PCR tests are used to directly screen for the presence of viral RNA, which is detectable in the body before antibodies form or symptoms of the disease are present. This can mean that the test tells whether or not someone has the virus very early on in the illness.

Substances known as reverse transcriptase or DNA polymerase are added to a nasopharyngeal sample in the lab. This substance that is added work to make numerous copies of any viral RNA that may be present. This is done so that enough copies of the RNA are present to signal a positive result, as specifically designed primers and probes attach themselves to sequences of the genetic code of the virus to signal that a pathogen has been found.

While antibody tests are able to tell healthcare providers what proportion of the population has been infected, it will not tell you who is infected. The antibodies from the COVID-19 virus are generated after a week or two, after which time the virus should have been cleared from the system. This antibody test tells you who has been infected previously and who should be immune to the virus.

Unlike PCR tests that use swabs to collect fluids from a nasal swab to detect if COVID-19 is in their system, antibodies are collected via a blood sample. This is because there will be smaller amounts of the COVID-19 antibody circulating in the blood compared to the respiratory tract, but a significant and measurable antibody present in the blood following an infection.

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