CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC UPDATE: UNDERSTANDING COVID-19 TESTING


There are two different types of COVID-19 tests namely; Diagnostic tests and Antibody tests.

Diagnostic Tests
A diagnostic test can show if you have an active coronavirus infection and should take steps to quarantine or isolate yourself from others.

Currently there are two types of Diagnostic tests:

     i.         Molecular (RT-PCR) tests that detect the virus’s genetic material,
   ii.         Antigen tests that detect specific proteins on the surface of the virus.

Antibody Tests
An antibody test looks for antibodies that are made by the immune system in response to a threat, such as a specific virus. Antibodies can help fight infections. Antibodies can take several days or weeks to develop after you have an infection and may stay in your blood for several weeks after recovery. Because of this, antibody tests should not be used to diagnose an active coronavirus infection. At this time, researchers do not know if the presence of antibodies means that you are immune to the coronavirus in the future.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

BECAUSE JOB DIDN’T TITHE, HIS LIFE BECAME TIGHT

FACT CHECK: DID BOLA TINUBU CALL FOR REDUCTION OF NIGERIANS’ PURCHASING POWER?

GOD’S GENERALS DEMYSTIFIED (PART II)