A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test detects genetic material from a pathogen or abnormal cell sample. Ways of collecting samples include a nasal swab, a saliva swab, or taking a sample of blood.

With Omicron surging in the United States, many people are taking COVID-19 tests to see whether they test positive. Most people will take either a rapid antigen or PCR test. Though the PCR test is ...

Last week, I was about to go on a date, and because I'm severely immunocompromised, we agreed he would take a COVID test using one of my rapid home molecular tests. It was a courtesy—he felt perfectly ...

COVID-19 tests are in greater demand than ever, and new data about the Omicron variant can make picking and using different types of tests confusing. Molecular tests for COVID-19, like the "RT-PCR" ...

Northwestern scientists have created the fastest-ever hepatitis C diagnostic, delivering accurate results in only 15 minutes. The test uses the DASH rapid PCR system, originally developed for COVID, ...

Posts circulating on Facebook and Instagram claim the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will stop using its COVID-19 test because it cannot differentiate between the COVID virus and flu ...

A PCR test is often considered the gold standard for detecting coronavirus infection. It’s the test some employers want employees to take before returning to work after having Covid-19, and the one ...