The Antigen Rapid swab test offers quick results in showing if somebody is carrying the COVID-19 virus. It is easy to use, very affordable and accurate. The swab provides results within 20 minutes and is extremely suitable for testing large groups of people or to test yourself at home.
The COVID-19 Swab test is an antigen test that will show if you have antigens for an active COVID-19 infection. They are designed to find proteins from the virus that causes COVID-19 via nasal and/or throat swabs. The test is easy to perform and gives accurate information on whether someone is actively infected with the COVID-19 virus.
Because of the ease of the swab, the quick answer and the accuracy of the results, this test is very suitable to be used by professionals for testing more people at the same time.
What different kind of COVID-19 tests are there?
You have 3 different kind of tests
Laboratory testing PCR Tests
The laboratory PCR tests are collected through a nasal and throat swab. This test shows if you ever had or were infected with COVID-19. It checks the virus’s genetic material and is highly accurate. The test will show If you have an active coronavirus within 24 to 48 hours. The downside is that you will have to wait for the lab to return the results and its expensive.
Antigen Tests
Antigen tests are also collected through a nasal and/or throat swab. This test shows if you have an active COVID-19 infection. It will check for specific proteins on the surface of the virus and is usually highly accurate. The test is able to show if you have an active infection within 20 minutes.
Antibody blood test
Antibody tests use a blood droplet from a simple finger prick. This test checks for antibodies made by the immune system in response to having been infected by the COVID-19 virus. It can take up to days or weeks for the antibodies to develop and are therefore less suitable to diagnose an active coronavirus infection. Results within 15 minutes.
PCR Test | Antigen Test | Antibody Test | |
Sample method | Nasal or Throat swab. | Nasal or Throat swab. | Blood sample |
Process | Checking the virus’s genetic material. | Checking for specific proteins on the surface of the virus. | Checks for antibodies in the immune system. |
What it checks | If you ever had or were infected in the past. | If you have an active infection. | If you are or have been infected |
Time to result | 24-48 hours. | 20 minutes. | 15 minutes |
Accuracy | Highly accurate | Good accuracy | Not everybody develops enough antibodies to be measurable. |
Benefit | Accuracy | Suitable for quick testing of large groups | Fast, easy, cheap first screening |
Why should I choose a Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Swab test?
The swab test is easy to perform and will provide you with accurate results in less than 20 minutes. This means that you will know if you are actively infected with COVID-19 immediately. You will not have to wait for the specimen to be examined in the lab.
And in contrary to the antibody test, the antigen swab test shows whether someone is actively infected with the COVID-19 virus. This makes the antigen test very useful to quickly test a large group of people or yourself at home.
How reliable or accurate is the Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Swab test?
It is possible for this test to give a negative result that is incorrect (false negative). However, it is very unlikely. When the test is performed your healthcare provider will consider the test result together with all other aspects of your medical history.
The sensitivity for this test is 97,1% & the specificity is 100%. The most common cause for a false negative test would be from getting tested too early after exposure. We do recommend that patients wait at least 24 hours after exposure or developing symptoms before getting tested. False positive results are extremely, extremely unlikely.
For whom is the Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Swab test intended?
The test is available for everyone, but for kids under the 12, we suggest a saliva test, which is easy to use. For all people above 12, we advise the swabtest from Flowflex.
Want to use the Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Swab test?
Swiss Point of Care is your trusted health partner for in vitro diagnostics and point of care testing, providing high-quality measuring equipment used by leading medical professionals across Europe.
For more information please use the contact form: https://www.swisspointofcare.com/en/contact/