Diagnostic tests (the sample is usually taken with a swab from the nose/mouth)
Antibody tests (also known as serology tests – blood tests that look for antibodies in your blood)
Antibody Test Kits look for coronavirus antibodies in people who have been infected with the virus. Antibodies are proteins made by the immune system to fight infections. The timing and type of antibody test affects accuracy as it can take 1 – 3 weeks after infection for your body to develop enough antibodies to be detected in a test. Antibody tests are a good way to determine if you have had significant exposure to the virus in the past but should not be used to diagnose someone with an active infection, due to the delay in production of antibodies after exposure to the virus.
This analyzer uses an LED as the excitation light source. The emitted light from the fluorescence dye is collected and converted into an electrical signal. The signal is closely related to the amount of fluorescence dye molecules presented on the spot under examination. After a buffer-mixed sample is applied to the test device, the test device is inserted into the analyzer and the concentration of the analyte is calculated by a pre-programmed calibration process. The Immunofluorescence Analyzer can only accept test devices that are designed especially for this equipment.
Chemiluminescence analyzers use a thermally stabilized photodiode to measure the intensity of the light produced by the reaction of NO with ozone (O3). The intensity is directly proportional to the concentration of NO that was converted to NO2 by the reaction. By converting the NO2 in the gas stream to NO, then reacting it with the O3, the total NOx value can be calculated, allowing speciation of NO, NO2 and total NOx with a single analyzer.
