Coronavirus tests are making headlines, but confusion remains. Different tests detect different things and have different uses. We walk through the two main types of tests related to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19: what each test detects, how it detects it and what the test can tell us about current and prior infection.
This nasal swab test detects bits of the virus itself and can tell you if you’re currently infected. Swabs are used to collect samples from the mucus membranes in the nose and throat where the virus may be growing or have been coughed up from the lungs. The assay used to detect the virus’ genetic material, RNA, is called the PCR assay.