Hospital Covid Tests

[Bobholll]

This is just a pure curiosity thread.

Last week, my daughter was very poorly & ended up in two different hospitals. She was covid tested at both.

Hospital 1 - they said they’d be using a ‘dry swab’. They swabbed her nostrils, put it in a pot with no liquid (that I could see) & it got sent somewhere. Results came back in 3 hours.

Hospital 2 - also swabbed both nostrils, put it in a pot & said they were going to run the test. 5 minutes later, the nurse came back saying it was negative & we could be admitted to the children’s ward. I was surprised they didn’t test me but that’s another story.

What tests are hospitals using? Were these PCR tests? Lateral Flow? Or something different? LF seems risky in a hospital environment & they take 30 minutes at home. This came back in 5!

🤷🏼‍♀️

There are a lot of different tests used. In my hospital we use Abbott, PCR and rapid PCR. All accurate but different indications. Abbott used in the ED, other tests ward based generally. I wouldn't worry it just depends on the brand used usually.

The second one sounds like one of the newer LFTs, they’re nasal swab only and results in 15 minutes

Different tests everywhere I think and even within hospitals. We have an ultra rapid PCR for ED and another PCR elsewhere.

Not sure about patients, but the PCR we use for staff is only an oral swab and not a nasal & throat one. You just rub it around the inside of your mouth for a minute. We’re switching from LFTs to LAMP testing but our LFTs have always been nasal only.

Thanks all! Very interesting! I didn’t realise there was such rapid PCR tests!