Understanding The Difference Between Molecular, Antigen and Antibody Coronavirus Tests
With the rapid increase of COVID-19 cases in the United States, our communities, healthcare system and way of life are being affected. As a result, COVID-19 is a constant topic in the news and there are many COVID-19 related terms to understand.
Molecular and Antigen COVID-19 tests are very similar in that they both help to diagnose (or not) active coronavirus infections, meaning the person currently has COVID-19. The primary difference between the two is speed. Antibody tests, however, determine if a person has had COVID-19 in the past.
The FDA summarizes the differences of these three COVID-19 tests in an easy-to-read way:
Molecular, Antigen & Antibody COVID-19 Tests
Source: FDA Coronavirus 2019 Disease Basics
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