COVID-19 diagnosis

Abstract

The need to curb the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 virus in the community and to diagnose those at risk of developing complications implies that an appropriate test should be chosen according to the epidemiological and clinical context. Rapid antigen tests, either nasopharyngeal or nasal, have the advantage of reflecting contagiousness better than PCR and giving an immediate result, reason why they are used as first-line for community diagnosis and screening. A rapid test allows immediate management of outpatients and does not falsely attribute the current acute episode to a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. PCR, whether nasopharyngeal or buccosalivary, is useful for epidemiological surveillance, including that of new variants, as well as identification of severe COVID in the postinfectious phase.