Why do pcr test take so long.A PCR Tester Has Lifted The Lid On Why You’re Waiting Ages For A COVID Test Result

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Image for representation. In this test, a swab is taken from the throat or nose of the person who is getting tested. This swab contains a small quantity of the RNA of the virus, therefore it is amplified to produce material that is enough for testing whether or not coronavirus has infected the person. To detect the same in the test, the RNA is converted into a two-strand DNA, using the process known as reverse transcription.

Although this test is more accurate than a rapid antigen test, the time taken is also more. The test can be completed in four to eight hours, however, the results are available in one day due to time taken in collection and in the transportation of samples to the labs.

This also adds to the time taken by labs to conduct this test. If the testing lab is far from the place where the sample of the person has been collected, the test result may be available after 48 hours or more, in some cases. On the other hand, the results of the rapid antigen test can come out in about half an hour but the accuracy is less than that of an RT PCR test.

The cost of RT PCR test in private labs has recently been reduced by the Delhi government and is now capped at Rs , if the sample is collected at the facility. However, if a technician comes to your home for sample collection, the maximum price that can be taken for the same is Rs 1,

     

How long will it take to receive test results?

 

Finally, one of the most prominent villains of our age rears its ugly, stupid head: capitalism. All this has had a knock on effect on hospital operations too. Delays in testing have meant people presenting to emergency departments have to wait longer to get help. Well then. Oh wait. We did. But instead of doing that, we focused on increasing police powers and throwing up hard borders, in the hope that this would never happen. In any event, it seems like testing staff are under an enormous amount of pressure so please be nice to them.

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Patience, as they say, is a virtue. Some labs differ in their guaranteed collection times, and this matter may be further complicated when you factor in things like couriers and even USPS pick-up and delivery times. If your specimen hits Quest Diagnostics today, for example, their schedule follows an end-of-day rule. That is, your expected turnaround time for results will begin at the end of the calendar day upon which the delivery was received.

If there are a lot of patrons coming through a given point of service or a lot of tests to examine back at the lab, getting through them all simply takes time.

With more people making COVID testing a priority than ever, our infrastructure is slowly growing to adapt to the demand. Your PCR specimen is rarely analyzed at your point of service. In order to receive your results, it needs to make it to the lab and back to your testing provider. The courier? According to insiders, it takes less time for a positive result to register than a negative result. Why keep holding things up? Many rapid result tests guarantee results in as little as twenty minutes, and on-site RT-PCR testing may only take a few hours to process.

Despite these manufacturer expectations, however, sometimes, things simply happen.