Months after the coronavirus arrived in our communities, several questions remain, including the two types of testing available. OSF Healthcare Western Region Chief Medical Officer Dr. Cliff Martin clarifies the differences:
“The test that has been talked about the most is the viral identification test. It is something that is called a PCR test. Basically the coronavirus, or COVID-19, is an RNA virus, meaning its’ genetic material is RNA. The test looks for a unique strand of RNA that identifies that virus. That is the test that can tell if the virus is present now. The antibody test is looking at our body’s immune response to seeing the virus. It is the type of antibodies that we make after we have learned to recognize and mount our string defense against infectious illness like the virus,” Dr. Martin states.
Dr. Martin reports the antibody testing is better used for someone that has recovered from the coronavirus. It can take up to four weeks after recovery before antibodies are seen.
