KATHMANDU: Nowadays, most of the Covid-19 research results using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) are coming from. PCR tests identify the virus's genetic information — the RNA. This canhappen if there is a virus and a person is actively infected.
PCR experiments are conducted to determine the presence of an antigen, rather than the presence of an immune response from a body or some other antibodies. The tests will tell people whether a person has virus very early on by detecting viral RNA, which is present in the body before antibodies develop or disease symptoms.
PCR offers a clear indication of whether or not a person is being contaminated. A individual may be isolated or even quarantined if contaminated.
That is the value of the latest diagnostic tests. Health officials can get a picture of the distribution of Covid-19 within a population by through the PCR testing to screen swathes of nasopharyngeal swab samples.
Similarly, PCR tests are also used to identify genetic material from HIV, or RNA. The tests may be used to screen blood supply and detect early infections before the production of antibodies.
Such testing can take place only a few days after HIV exposure. These tests are reliable but not as often conducted as other HIV tests, since they are costly. The methods used in research have their own caveats.
PCR has become a effective, open tool to check for the disease during the Covid-19 crisis. PCR experiments may be very labor intensive with certain stages where there might be errors between sampling and study.
False negatives can also occur with various PCR tests up to 30 percent of the time , which means they are useful to confirm the existence of an infection.
(With inputs from Agencies)