The post includes photos of kids and adults being tested for COVID-19 with a nasal swab, the traditional way a PCR test is performed. Accompanying those is an image of a cow receiving a nasal ...

Like PCR tests, antigen tests usually require a nose or throat swab. But unlike PCR tests, which look for genetic material from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, antigen tests look for proteins that live on ...

Two tests are widely available to see if someone has the virus: a polymerase chain reaction swab, or PCR test, and a less invasive antigen test. While both methods have the same goal, Jon Baker ...

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and rapid (antigen) tests for COVID-19 both involve taking a swab. Results for a PCR test take longer, as it needs to go to a laboratory. It is more costly but ...

Timely and reliable testing is essential to prevent surges in new Covid-19 cases. Nasal swab RT-PCR testing is most commonly used for diagnosing the air-borne disease, all thanks to its precise ...

Quicker than PCR tests (15-20 minutes versus hours to days to get a result) Can be done in the home compared to having to line up and wait for a swab, which then has to be analysed in a laboratory.

Early in the pandemic, the message from governments of all levels was crystal clear: If you have symptoms, get a PCR test. While that still largely holds true, rules about who should get tested ...