At the latest with the sale of Corona tests by a well-known discount market, they are on everyone's lips: Corona tests. Despite tough measures, the number of new infections with the Sars-CoV-2 virus could only be reduced somewhat in the short term - low levels like in the summer were a long way off for the entire time. Nevertheless, the German government and the prime ministers have agreed to relax measures to contain the pandemic. The basis for this is to be a testing strategy and the acceleration of vaccinations. Many of the new Corona tests no longer have to be specially evaluated in a laboratory, but offer the user an immediate result. Find out what the differences are between rapid tests, self-tests and the PCR test!
Corona rapid tests
Every citizen in Germany should have access to one free rapid test per week. The rapid test must not be performed by laymen. The required swab from the nose or throat is taken by trained personnel in pharmacies, test centers or doctors' offices. The sample is then applied to a test strip. This test strip basically works like a pregnancy test. It is a so-called ELISA test, which stands for Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay. The test strip has corresponding binding sites for the antigen - parts of the virus itself. If viral proteins (in an antigen assay) bind to these binding sites, the test strip changes color. A single line indicates that the test procedure was successful; two lines indicate the presence of the virus in the body. The test is positive.
If the test result is positive, a second test, a PCR, is performed to confirm the result. The healthcare professional performing the test will also ask the person tested to immediately go into home quarantine and wait for the test result to be confirmed there.
Self-tests
Home self-tests work on the same principle as rapid tests. These tests are characterized by the fact that the necessary sample can be taken particularly easily - and thus also by laypersons. These tests also work according to the ELISA principle. These tests are also particularly inexpensive, costing only about 2 - 10 euros per test. The self-tests offer help in concrete everyday situations and can provide more security if, for example, relatives are to be visited.
Just like rapid tests, self-tests naturally only show a snapshot. Compared to the PCR test, both rapid and self-tests are somewhat less sensitive and at the same time show higher false positive results. If a self-test indicates a positive test result, the person tested should also immediately go into domestic quarantine and inform his or her family doctor or the public health department.
Self-tests can be performed completely without prior medical knowledge. In a rapid test, the sample is usually taken from the back of the throat. This is somewhat uncomfortable and also much more difficult in terms of coordination, but the result of the rapid test is more reliable than that of a self-test.
In the self-test, the sample is taken in the anterior nasal cavity, from the area of the inner wall of the nose.
In both a self-test and a rapid test, positive test results must be verified by a PCR test. And even in the case of a negative test result, the general hygiene and spacing rules must of course be observed.
PCR test
The sample collection for the PCR test is carried out exclusively by qualified personnel in test centers or established physicians. The sample is then sent to a laboratory. There, a quantitative real-time PCR is performed. This procedure is extremely sensitive and provides reliable, very, very safe results. The risk of a false positive result is extremely low. False-negative results are also possible only in extremely rare cases. The PCR test does not have to be paid for by the patient, it is a health insurance service. In Germany, only cases in which the Corona virus was detected by means of the PCR test are transmitted to the RKI and are included in the number of new infections per day.
Conclusion
Self-tests can be a great relief in concrete everyday situations. The tests - when used correctly - offer a good assessment of whether a Corona infection could be present. Thus, relatives, stores, or the gym can be visited with the confidence that they are not contributing to the spread of the pandemic. However, the tests only provide a snapshot and must be repeated regularly.
Play it safe - buy Corona self-test!
Editors fitnessmarkt.de (DG)
Photo credit: #402186893 Prostock-studio / stock.adobe.com
Published on: 15 March 2021