With COVID-19 affecting people worldwide, the significance of having a dependable and accessible means of screening for the virus keeps becoming pronounced. COVID-19 tests are crucial in health prevention & promotion, helping the community stay safe against the pandemic.
Now you can divide the types of COVID tests into two—diagnostic and antibody tests. Here are the differences between them:
- Diagnostic Testing
- Molecular testing (also known as PCR or RNA tests):
This is the most accurate COVID testing method. Molecular testing involves swabbing mucus from the back of your throat or deep in your nose. The swab is given to a lab and examined, which can make your results take longer to come back. - Antigen testing (also known as rapid testing):
Rapid testing and molecular testing both have a similar swabbing process. But since the former doesn’t need to be given to a lab, the test results come back faster. These tests are effective at determining COVID antigens, but it can take a while for these antigens to show up in your system.
- Molecular testing (also known as PCR or RNA tests):
- Antibody Testing
The antibody test is a blood test. It checks if you have any COVID antibodies in your bloodstream. A positive antibody test means you had COVID once and that your immune system now has antibodies that defend you from the virus. But, it won’t be able to determine if you have COVID presently.
If you feel any COVID-related symptoms or have been in contact with a COVID patient, let your internal medicine physician in McKinney, Texas know. They will likely recommend testing.
Set an appointment at Dr. Ken Park MD PLLC‘s clinic for COVID testing. You can also get in touch with the clinic for telemedicine services in Texas.