Immunologist Nikolai Kryuchkov told an interview with Sputnik radio, what is the difference between a rapid test for coronavirus infection and a PCR test.
He explained that using PCR, a polymerase chain reaction method, the presence of ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the biomaterial is detected, and express tests can detect fragments of the pathogen's protein.
Kryuchkov noted that the results of the express test will be obtained much faster than the PCR method.
Rapid tests are convenient to use at border control points and in other public places where you need to get a result quickly, the immunologist notes.
“For example, when you need to examine people caught in an outbreak of an infectious disease at an enterprise, somewhere in a public place. Or at border control points, in a cordon sanitaire at the border, when it is important for a person to understand whether it is necessary to undergo quarantine. It is convenient for early screening, ”said Kryuchkov.
According to Kryuchkov, the advantage of the express test is its simplicity, because a person can pass it on their own by taking a swab from the nose and throat.
He emphasized that in case of a positive result of an express test, it is also necessary to undergo PCR testing: a quick analysis for a viral antigen is only the first stage of the medical examination required to diagnose COVID-19. At the same time, it is emphasized that the most reliable way to reduce the risk of contracting coronavirus is still vaccination.
Earlier, Rospotrebnadzor explained false negative tests for COVID-19 in the presence of symptoms of coronavirus infection.
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