While a PCR test result isn’t required to get the antiviral Paxlovid under federal guidelines-proof of an at-home test often suffices-some clinicians may order a PCR test to confirm the results before prescribing it. For example, it’s wise to test people before they’re admitted to a hospital or nursing home, where they could spread the virus to lots of vulnerable people if an antigen test missed a brewing illness, he says.Īnyone experiencing severe symptoms or complications of COVID-19 should also get a PCR test, even if they’ve already tested positive on a rapid test, so their doctors can make a concrete diagnosis and decide on treatment plans, Chiu adds.
#Pcr covid test vs rapid test serial
A day or two later, however, they may test positive.Īntigen tests work well if you can do that sort of serial testing, already have symptoms (and thus probably have quite a bit of virus in your system), or want to know about your current contagiousness, such as before an event.īut PCR tests are still the best option for situations where “you only have a single opportunity to test and if you missed an infection that was impending, the consequences could be disastrous,” Langelier says. That’s why most antigen tests are meant to be used repeatedly: if someone tests shortly after an exposure, they might not yet have enough virus in their system for the test to detect it. They’re good indicators of whether someone is currently contagious, but they’re not always sensitive enough to pick up on small amounts of virus, Langelier says. Most at-home tests, by contrast, are antigen tests that detect viral proteins.
#Pcr covid test vs rapid test free
Read More: Stock Up on Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests While You Can Chaz Langelier, an infectious disease physician with the Infectious Diseases Society of America. A PCR test may detect an infection even before that peak, says Dr. The SARS-CoV-2 virus takes some time to build up in the body after exposure, with viral load typically peaking around the time symptoms emerge. PCR tests are considered the gold standard of COVID-19 detection because they’re highly sensitive, able to detect even small amounts of the virus’ genetic material.
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