If you suspect that you may be having COVID-19, you should consider getting a PCR test. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is performed with the aim of detecting genetic material from a specific organism, like a virus. This test detects the presence of a virus if you are infected at the time of the test. It could also detect fragments of virus even after you are no longer infected.
A polymerase chain reaction test for COVID-19 is used to diagnosis people that are currently infected with SARS-CoV-2, which is the coronavirus responsible for causing COVID-19. This test is the “gold standard” test for diagnosing COVID-19 since it is the most accurate and reliable test right now.
You need to get a PCR test if you have symptoms of COVID-19, or if you have been within six feet of someone for 15 minutes or more who has tested positive for Covid-19. There are some testing sites that do not offer testing if you have been exposed but are not showing symptoms.
So, how exactly does a COVID-19 PCR test work? There are three key steps to this test, namely sample collection, extraction, and PCR. Collection of the sample is done using a swab to collect respiratory material found in the nose. A swab is made of a soft tip on a long, flexible stick which is inserted into your nose.
After the sample is collected, the swab is sealed in a tube and then sent to a laboratory. A laboratory technologist performs a process called extraction after receiving the sample, which isolates genetic material from the sample, including the genetic material from any virus that may be present.
During the PCR step, special chemicals and a PCR machine are used to cause a reaction to occur which makes millions of copies of a small portion of the SARS-CoV-2 virus’s genetic material. One of the chemicals will produce a fluorescent light if SARS-CoV-2 is present in the sample. This fluorescent light is a “signal” that is detected by the PCR machine, and special software is used for interpreting the signal as a positive test result.
For more information on the COVID-19 PCR Test process, visit our website at https://www.harleymedic.co.uk/