The following are window periods when it comes to these test
Day 1 to 7 - window period... during this period an RNA PCR test or Antigen test should be used to test for the virus. Most people are asymptomatic. This is used to test when you may have been exposed to someone with an active case, or a screening test suggests you may be infected.
Day 7 to 14 - onset of symptoms and most infectious period... an RNA or Ag test can be used for diagnosis, however the first antibodies, IgM may be detected using an antibody test.
Day 14 to 21 - a decline of infection... person begins to recover. Virus genetic material may still be detectable, IgM begins to disappear. IgG production begins. An antibody test may pick up either or both types of antibodies.
Day 21 onwards... little to no virus left in your blood, and IgG antibodies are predominant. A 15 min rapid blood antibody test can be used here and will tell you if a person has been infected.
TERMS: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a method widely used to rapidly make millions to billions of copies of a specific DNA sample, allowing scientists to take a very small sample of DNA and amplify it to a large enough amount to study in detail.
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