Update

Global WholeHealth Partners, Corp (GWHP: OTC) Describes the Pros and Cons of the Common Types of COVID-19 Test Kits Available

San Clemente, CA, Nov. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has placed the world in a tailspin, which the healthcare industry has responded to in kind with the development and rapid deployment of tests designed to detect infection. Many of these tests help clinicians and researchers accurately identify severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for COVID-19.

And while these tests have been crucial in identifying and tracking cases of infection and disease-related morbidity and mortality, they aren’t without their potential drawbacks.

Types of COVID-19 Tests

Several new methods have been developed to diagnose COVID-19, many of which have their own alternative methods of administration and unique benefits:

Antigen Rapid, point-of-care diagnostic tests: These tests, which can be classified as antigen, rely on a mucus sample obtained from the throat or nose and is analyzed is used in a rapid device similar to a Flu test, at a clinic or physician’s office. Results from these tests can often be available within minutes.

Antibody Rapid, point-of-care diagnostic tests: These tests, which can be classified as serological, rely on fingertip blood obtained from the patient with results in minutes.

Molecular: These tests, which are classified as molecular, rely of nasal or throat swab samples with results as soon as 90 minutes. 

Diagnostic Tests: Molecular vs. Antigen Tests

There are two main types of COVID-19 tests which identify the virus, either the Partial Genetic Marker of the Virus in the Molecular Test or Specific Protein found on the Virus in the Rapid Antigen IgA Test.

Getting a test for COVID-19 can be challenging for some people, especially considering the rapid evolution on testing guidance on testing options. While each test features its own limitations, molecular tests are perhaps the most effective strategies available, but take the longest amount of time and must be done in a lab, or hospital in most cases. 

Below is an overview of these different tests, including what they can do to identify the disease and their limitations.

RT-PCR

The RT-PCR is the most common test that is frequently used to detect the virus’s Partial Genetic Marker of the Virus in the body. Using this test, patients can know whether or not they have an active COVID-19 infection and can adjust their lifestyle accordingly (i.e., quarantine or not).