Genetic testing vs. antibody self-test
Good question! In this section, Health Net is looking for answers to nagging questions. This time: are corona self-tests reliable?
It sounds so simple: take a test at home and see if you are or have been infected with the coronavirus. And based on that decide whether you should stay in quarantine. But are such corona self-tests really that reliable?
Different tests
The answer is no for now. This has several reasons. For starters, it’s good to know that there are multiple tests for different purposes. According to professor of molecular virology Ron Fouchier of Erasmus MC, one test shows whether you are currently infected with the coronavirus, while others show whether you have been infected in the past. “These are very different tests, and therefore each require a different approach,” says Fouchier via NEMO Kennislink. In Dutch hospitals, they currently mainly use the first variant.
Genetic code
Second, in almost all tests currently used, the genetic code of the virus is important. Such a test requires a nose or throat sample from the patient, which can only be obtained by trained healthcare personnel. Then a specialized lab has to analyze the sample. In short: a very specialized process that is (still) too complicated to make it into a simple self-test. What also does not make it easy is that there is currently a worldwide shortage of lab material.
False certainty
Third, a genetic test only finds active infections, so only when you are really sick. This can be dangerous, according to Fouchier, because these tests can give a false negative result. “It can give a sense of security, people may be less careful and thus ensure that the virus spreads further.”
Antibody Self-Test
There is another way to test, namely with antibodies. These are substances your body makes to kill a virus. Antibodies remain in the blood for a long time, even when the virus is gone. So even if you have recovered, you can find out with blood whether you are (or have been) infected. But it is not yet clear how reliable they are for these types of tests.
For the time being, it is not yet possible for both types of tests to do a (reliable) corona test at home and these types of tests are even banned worldwide. Will it be possible in the future? Fouchier: “We are working very hard on that, for example to apply the techniques we use in the lab on a smaller scale.” According to him, that will not work in the short term.
Please note: the situation surrounding the coronavirus changes daily. For the most up-to-date information, visit the RIVM website.
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