If you’re living with, or have been exposed to, the COVID-19 virus, you may be wondering whether it’s a good idea to get tested for the virus. The answer depends on whether you want to know about your own health or that of someone else. If you’re worried about your own risk of infection, then a molecular test can help you find out if you have been infected with COVID-19 at some point in the past. If so, then it might be useful to know when exactly this happened and whether there is any reason why this might have put others at risk as well. On the other hand, if someone else has been exposed to COVID-19 (for example a sexual partner), then an antigen test can tell us if they are infected right now by looking for specific proteins on their surface cells – although antibodies are also detectable in blood tests if they were exposed within three months prior).
A molecular test looks for the genetic material of the virus that causes COVID-19. Genetic material is something that contains information, like DNA or RNA (short for ribonucleic acid). Viruses are little bits of nonliving material that infect a cell and make it do things it wouldn't normally do. The virus infecting you right now may be made up of DNA or RNA, depending on what kind of virus it is.
COVID-19 stands for Cowan's Vitreous Eye Disease 19, which is also called cowden syndrome. It's an inherited condition that affects your skin, eyes, and nervous system but doesn't usually lead to cancer unless there are other changes in your genes as well.
Antigen tests look for specific proteins on the surface of the virus. These proteins are called antigens, because they are what triggers an immune response in your body. They’re often what causes you to get sick in the first place—when a virus enters your body, it will inject its own antigens into you.
Antigen tests are not as accurate as molecular tests because they don't give you as much information about what kind of virus is actually causing an illness or infection. Antigen tests can also produce false negatives (they tell you that there's no flu present when there really is), while molecular tests can produce false positives (they tell you there's flu present when none exists).
Antigen tests are considered to be less accurate than molecular tests. Antigen tests are performed by taking a sample of your blood, which is then tested for the presence of certain antigens that indicate the presence of HIV antibodies. In addition to having lower accuracy rates, antigen tests may also be more expensive and difficult to perform.
Antigen testing is more convenient for patients because it doesn't require an additional test like molecular testing does. Molecular testing requires a second sample taken from your body—usually saliva or urine—to confirm whether or not you've contracted the virus.
If you have questions about testing, make sure to talk with a qualified medical professional. If the results of your test are unclear or confusing and you want to get another opinion, ask to speak with someone who has more knowledge in the field than your doctor. It is important that your information is accurate if you are going to be making decisions based on it. And don't trust everything that is written online; there may be some inaccurate information out there as well.
Molecular tests are considered more accurate than antigen tests for detecting COVID-19. This is because they look at the DNA of your sample, rather than its proteins. Antigen tests are less accurate than molecular tests and take longer to process, but they're also less expensive and provide results more quickly (in as little as three hours).
Antigen tests detect fragments of the virus's proteins to determine if you currently have an active infection. These tests are used to detect the virus in people who are at risk of contracting HIV, as well as to monitor the effectiveness of antiretroviral treatment (ART). Antigen tests may also be used to see if someone has been exposed to HIV by way of sexual intercourse or by sharing needles.
A PCR test is only capable of detecting HIV strains that match its pattern, so positive results can indicate whether or not you've contracted a particular strain—but it won't help predict how your body will respond.
Molecular tests identify genetic material from the virus to determine if you currently have a viral infection. These tests are more sensitive than antigen tests, which look for antibodies in your blood. Antigen tests can detect a viral infection before you get symptoms, but they aren't as accurate or sensitive at detecting a current viral infection as molecular testing methods.
Molecular and antigen tests are both accurate, but molecular tests are more sensitive.
Sensitivity refers to the percentage of people who have an infectious disease and have a positive result on their test. Specificity refers to the percentage of people who don't have an infectious disease and get a negative result on their test. A highly sensitive test will not only detect more cases of illness than a low-sensitivity test, but it will also be less likely to generate false positives (i.e., it will give you the right answer most often). Similarly, specificity is central for diagnostic tests because false negatives can result in missed opportunities for prevention or treatment that could save lives or improve health outcomes for patients.
Both molecular and antigen tests use samples taken with swabs. Swabbing is the most common method of collecting a sample, and it’s easy to do at home. You can use a swab to collect a sample for testing for many different types of infections, including:
Molecular tests are more accurate and sensitive than antigen tests. They can detect the presence of disease-causing bacteria, such as Salmonella and E. coli, much earlier than antigen tests. This is because molecular tests look directly at the DNA or RNA of the microorganism to determine if it's present in your sample, whereas antigen tests look for specific proteins released by certain types of bacteria (the antigens) in your sample.
Antigen tests may also be faster to get results because they don't require advanced lab work like molecular testing does—only a small sample size is required for this type of test. However, molecular testing will give you an idea if there are any pathogens in your system while antigen testing only shows whether or not they're present (and what kind).
If you have questions about testing for COVID-19, make sure to talk with a qualified medical professional. You can also check out our blog on how to test for the virus and what symptoms you should look out for. If you think that you might have been exposed to the virus, it’s best not to wait around and see if symptoms develop—the sooner treatment begins, the better!