Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and rapid (antigen) tests for COVID-19 both involve taking a swab. Results for a PCR test take longer, as it needs to go to a laboratory. It is more costly but tends to ...

Minute Molecular, the company developing the device, has high hopes for it as an efficient and accurate means of testing people at schools, workplaces and sports stadiums. Northwestern ...

The other day I noticed a display table full of the BinaxNOW COVID-19 antigen self test at the Walgreens near my home. It was located near the entrance. The rapid test gives a result in 15 to 30 ...

With Omicron surging in the United States, many people are taking COVID-19 tests to see whether they test positive. Most people will take either a rapid antigen or PCR test. Though the PCR test is ...

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test detects genetic material from a pathogen or abnormal cell sample. Ways of collecting samples include a nasal swab, a saliva swab, or taking a sample of blood.

COVID-19 tests are in greater demand than ever, and new data about the Omicron variant can make picking and using different types of tests confusing. Molecular tests for COVID-19, like the "RT-PCR" ...

At-home PCR tests are just as accurate as those done in a lab. At-home antigen tests are more budget-friendly and give results quicker, but there is a greater chance of a false negative. As of ...

A widely shared claim on social media has brought the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's decision to retire its PCR test for COVID-19 back into the spotlight. "CDC Withdraws Use of PCR Test ...

“Infectious diseases don’t respect borders,” says Khoa Thai, a clinical microbiologist at the Star-shl medical diagnostics laboratory in the Netherlands. To limit their spread, we need a globally ...