COVID-19 Lab Testing

The PCR test is the gold standard for detecting COVID-19 infections. Its accuracy is superior to the antigen test (otherwise known as a lateral flow test) because it is processed in a laboratory and looks for the virus’ genetic material so that even a very small amount of it can be detected. Therefore, the PCR test is highly sensitive for COVID-19 and has low rates of false negatives. 

In comparison, an antigen test can be done independently and processed anywhere (like a urine pregnancy test). It looks for the virus’ protein, which requires a higher amount of virus to be detected. This type of testing often does not fulfill the requirements of travel-related COVID-19 testing.

Reasons why you may want a COVID-19 PCR test may include:

You have any of the following symptoms:

• Cough
• Fever
• Shortness of breath
• Loss of taste and/or smell
• Or other symptoms such as increased fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.

You do not have symptoms but:

• Plan to travel somewhere that requires a negative COVID-19 test.
• Was in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
• Plan to visit someone who is immunocompromised such as those who have cancer and those who are very young or very old.
• Required to have a negative COVID-19 test for work or a gathering/event.

Viruses tend to change over time, resulting in different strains defined by certain variants (genetic changes). These variants help the virus vary their ability to replicate, spread, and cause disease. Variants can also affect the ability of COVID-19 tests to detect the virus depending on the method of testing.

For these reasons, variant testing and monitoring happen constantly at the local, state, and federal levels through public health agencies. When you test for COVID-19 variants, you can be better informed about the level of infectivity and severity of COVID-19 infection by correlating with data reported by public health agencies.

Our lab provides results for COVID-19 testing in 24-48 hours. Results are available by 6 am, seven days a week. We understand that the results of these tests affect decisions that will affect your business and your life, so it is our priority to ensure fast and accurate results. Our lab is highly capable and can run up to 10,000 tests per day.

Due to the highly sensitive nature of the COVID-19 testing technology, there are rare cases where your results may not immediately provide you with an answer to whether or not you are infected with the virus.

When a result comes back as “inconclusive,” we recommend repeating COVID-19 testing. This is because the testing may have picked up the residual virus from someone recovering from a COVID-19 infection and who is in fact no longer infected. Alternatively, the test could have picked up a minute amount of contaminant during the collection and/or processing.

An important situation to be aware of is the possibility of a “false negative” result. This is when someone is infected with COVID-19 but the test results come back negative. At the very beginning of an infection, the amount of virus can be so low that COVID-19 tests are unable to detect the virus. It is highly recommended to repeat testing if you develop symptoms even if a recent COVID-19 test came back negative. It is recommended to use a PCR test in this situation because antigen tests are more likely to give a “false negative” result.