When it comes to testing for Covid-19 or any other viral infections, a PCR test is preferred due to various reasons. This test is valuable for detecting specific pathogens that are difficult to culture in vitro or require a long cultivation period. It is significantly more rapid in providing results compared to culturing. A PCR test enables earlier informed decision making as well as rapid diagnosis of bacteremia, particularly for low levels of bacteria in specimens. This method is very useful in detecting cases in extra pulmonary specimens which may be missed by smear and/or culture. PCR is still considered an adjunct test for certain diagnostic tests that still rely on smear and culture, like tuberculosis.
Even though PCR testing has many advantages, there are also some limitations to it that you need to know. Among them include the fact that PCR testing alone may be limited as a diagnostic tool. You still need culture for testing for drug/antibiotic susceptibility and genetic typing. Also, with a rapid antigen test, post treatment diagnosis may be challenging. This method detects dead organisms that may be shed for weeks after the patient stops showing symptoms. It can be unclear regarding persistence of infection, and detecting dead organisms at this stage may have no clinical relevance. While covid test for travel have a lot of benefits, they should not be used as the sole basis of a patient treatment management decision. The test results should be interpreted by a trained professional in conjunction with review of the patient’s history as well as clinical signs and symptoms. There is also a danger of false positives and false negative results in PCR testing. False negative results can arise from things such as improper sample collection/transport, insufficient amount of specimen and degradation of nucleic acids (typically RNA) during shipping or storage. False positive results can arise from detecting contaminants introduced during specimen collection, transport or processing and detecting organism’s representative of normal flora near specimen. For more information on PCR tests, visit Harley Medic Uk our website at https://officialrapidtests.com/.
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