To date, the incidence of coronavirus infection around the world has received the status of a pandemic. Every day, hundreds of thousands of people become infected, tens of thousands find typical symptoms, thousands die. The numbers are horrendous, so specialists in research centres around the world are trying to invent effective methods of diagnosis, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. In terms of screening, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is still the gold standard in most countries. But there are separate popular and experimental research methods. Let’s find out why PCR is recognized as the best method.
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a method of molecular biology, a method for significantly increasing low concentrations of necessary DNA or RNA fragments in a biological material (sample).
This test is more accurate. Express tests reveal only indirect signs of coronavirus and interact with antibodies that are in the body if the virus has been present in it for a long time.
Specific tests for detecting coronavirus infection were developed within a week after Chinese experts deciphered its genome. The PCR test can detect even single copies of the virus. Try it out in our Corona Test Centre with a discount!
The analysis is quite fast. In addition, the patient does not need to prick his finger or take blood from a vein, which facilitates diagnosis in children.
Types Of Coronavirus Testing
The first of them and, as mentioned above, the most reliable – PCR (PCR, polymerase chain reaction) – is based on the analysis of biological material in order to find the desired DNA or RNA fragment. The method has found application in various branches of medicine (genetics, physiology, hepatology, and others). In particular, today, PCR is used to search for COVID-19 virus particles in the nasopharynx. If at least parts of the pathogen are present in the saliva, the system captures the desired sequence of proteins and models a long DNA chain based on them. This means that if the subject’s body is infected, the test will be positive even if there is no immune response. At Corona Test Centre you can make PCR in a few minutes!
The second, also very popular in the medical environment, is ELISA (enzymatic immunoassay). It is widely used for preliminary assessment of a patient’s COVID status, analysis of the state of immunity after recovery, and also for determining infectiousness. ELISA is based on the search for antibodies to coronavirus – immunoglobulins M in the acute phase and G after recovery (long-term immunity).
The third method – CLIA (chemiluminescent immunoassay) is a better and more reliable alternative to ELISA. All the same antibodies fall under the scope of the system, but more advanced counting criteria are used, which is why there are no borderline results. Based on the CLIA, it is possible to say with greater certainty: a person is sick, contagious, healthy, or temporarily not susceptible to infection.
Experimental Techniques:
- Based on CRISPR – test systems, genetic information is edited.
- Patches with a sensor – a development of the University of Chicago.
- And dozens of other versions that are still at the initial stage of research.
What is the best of the mentioned above? The answer is obvious – PCR. This test is more reliable, accurate, subject to the rules of sampling, false positive answers are excluded. If it is necessary to travel abroad, it is also necessary to provide the result of a chain reaction. But there are indications for CLIA as well. For example, if you suspect that you have been sick with coronavirus for more than a week, PCR may well be uninformative. Then the CLIA may well detect the coronavirus at a later period and in various phases.
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