Các loại xét nghiệm Covid-19 (TYPES OF COVID-19 TEST)

A. Viral tests are swab or saliva tests.

• They can show if you have a current infection.
• There are two types of viral tests: antigen tests and nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs).
• Viral tests can be rapid tests (results in 15-30 min) or laboratory-based tests (that can take 1-3 days for results). Most antigen tests and some NAAT tests are rapid tests.
• There are now several rapid tests that are available over-the-counter (OTC) for testing yourself at home or anywhere. Most of these are antigen tests. See self-testing to learn more.
• PCR tests are a type of NAAT test that is usually performed in a laboratory. PCR tests are considered the most accurate test for COVID-19. They are often used to confirm the results of rapid tests.
• NAAT and antigen tests can be used whether you have symptoms or not. There are trade-offs to both kinds of tests. Rapid tests are recommended when you need or want to know your results right away but false results are a bit more common. More accurate NAATs (usually PCR tests) are recommended to confirm some rapid test results and when a person can wait for the test result; these tests are less likely to yield a false result. Antigen tests are recommended over NAAT tests when testing to get out of isolation early or if you had COVID-19 in the past 3 months.
• See Understanding Your Viral Test Result and What to do Next for more information.

B. Antibody tests (also known as serology tests) are blood tests.

• They might tell you if you had an infection in the past, but they cannot tell you when.
• They should not be used to test for a current infection or to tell if you are protected from getting COVID-19 in the future.

[Nguồn tham khảo: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona2019/covidtests ]