How does COVID Antigen Testing differ from PCR Testing?

If you’re considering getting tested for COVID-19, you need to ensure that you’ve chosen the proper test to accommodate your needs.  Remember, no two types of COVID-19 tests are alike.  Thus, it’s important to determine if an antigen test or a PCR test is your best choice.  At All Health Medical Centre, we offer Antigen tests, PCR tests, and serological or antibody tests.

 

Antigen Testing

 

The Antigen COVID test in Thornhill provided by our facility detects the virus proteins of the Coronavirus in respiratory samples taken with a nasal swab. Theantigen test is well recognized for delivering the most accurate results during the time shortly after a person becomes symptomatic.  If the results are positive and the proteins are seen in the nasal sample, you probably have the virus.  Furthermore, All Health Medical Centrethe testing has a slight chance of showing false-positive results.

 

If your Antigen COVID test results are negative, it means your nasal sample did nothave any proteins for COVID-19 virus.There is a chance that antigen testing can give false-negative results.  If you’ve recently been infected and aren’t showing signs of spike proteins multiplying in your respiratory sample, this would be a false-negative test result.  If you’ve had symptoms for more than a week, your Antigen COVID test will be less effective and may return negative results.

 

PCR Testing

 

All Health Medical Centre PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test detects viral genetic material in your body.  Due to the sensitivity of the protein, PCR testing can find an infection or any virus fragment that remains after being infected.  This is one of the reasons PCR testing, is considered the best testing when compared to Antigen COVID test and related procedures.  The procedure works as follows:

 

  • We use a nasal swab to take a sample of therespiratory system.
  • Our experts will seal the sample in a tube and send it out to the on-site lab here at All Health Medical Centre for testing.
  • While at the lab, the genetic material from your sample is extracted and analyzed for virustraces.
  • If your results are positive, it’s likely that you have COVID-19 and should take all the steps necessary to safeguard yourself and people around you.
  • If your results are negative, it means you probably weren’t infected when you were tested or that you were infected shortly before being tested and there wasn’t enough of a viral load to be detected.

 

For more information, call All Health Medical Centre today at (866) 837-8447. Our health care experts are available to take your call and will answer your queries and provide the information that you need. Staying safe is important.

< Back to list