Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and rapid (antigen) tests for COVID-19 both involve taking a swab. Results for a PCR test take longer, as it needs to go to a laboratory. It is more costly but tends to ...

Molecular tests are far superior to rapid antigen tests—and now you can get them for home use. Last week, I was about to go on a date, and because I'm severely immunocompromised, we agreed he would ...

During the coronavirus pandemic, polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, testing has been an invaluable tool to diagnose new COVID-19 cases. But some social media users are casting doubt on the test's ...

Researchers often call the polymerase chain reaction test – known as the PCR test – "the gold standard" for detecting the COVID-19 virus. The test is considered highly reliable and effective, and it ...

Every American traveling abroad needs to take an antigen test to return to the United States. But the start of the trip is often even more cumbersome, as many other countries (nearly every one I have ...

New COVID-19 restrictions for international travel and other activities are fueling consumer demand for highly accurate polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, tests with rapid turnaround times. Some ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Matt Binnicker is the CSO for Mayo Collaborative Services. Dr. Matt Binnicker, an expert in the diagnosis of infectious diseases, ...

People often talk about COVID-19 testing like it means only one thing. But in reality, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has so far granted emergency-use authorization to more than 200 ...

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" ...

Some new strains of Covid-19 are not being picked up by standard PCR tests, reveals leading testing expert Dr Quinton Fivelman. He warns that new mutations mean some variants are not being picked up ...