Are you in Calgary and wondering where and how to get tested for COVID-19? Covid-19 PCR test are available at Calgary Drug Mart and your results will be given in just under 30 minutes!
If you need an obligatory request for a Covid-19 PCR test some hours before your departure, you may schedule a PCR test with us. This may be the greatest choice since it saves time and money and does not need you to change your schedule.
The most accurate kinds of COVID-19 test are what’s called COVID-19 PCR tests, which detect genetic material of the virus from patient samples. Let’s explore what a PCR test is, PCR test accuracy, and what makes it different from other forms of COVID-19 testing.
Are the COVID19 PCR tests accurate?
Testing for COVID remains one of the most important tools for combatting the virus. Not only does testing help us identify the potential to spread in a given community, but we learn more about the virus and how it spreads when testing is widely available and practised.
As different tests have become available from the aforementioned PCR test to rapid antigen tests the general public has had valid questions about accuracy. Why are some tests more accurate
than others? The answer can be related to the type of test administered, when the test was conducted, what stage the virus was at during the time of testing, and potential human error. The COVID-19 PCR test is known as the gold standard of COVID testing. Once a sample is
collected, it requires laboratory analysis where a PCR machine identifies viral genetic material, duplicates the SARS-CoV-2 genetic material, and a positive result is identified when a certain fluorescent light is produced by ample amounts of the COVID genetic material. This makes it more accurate than an antigen test, or rapid testing.
Why are antigen rapid tests still widely used?
Antigen tests detect a certain protein found on the surface of a virus. The test requires a nasal or saliva sample, but it uses a test-strip method instead of receiving analysis from a lab. That makes the process quick and cheap, but inherently less accurate. Antigen tests have a sensitivity between 50% to 90%, which produces many false negatives.