The trick to know the result of a PCR or antigen test faster

The incidence of COVID-19 is at the highest levels of the entire pandemic in Spain. The high contagion of the Ómicron variant has triggered the cases, with a wave that began on the Constitution bridge, and that will not stop at least until mid-January. Taking a test or a PCR is complicated, but when you do it, it is logical to want to obtain the results as soon as possible . And there is a little trick to get the results a few hours and even days before.

When we do a PCR , it is logical to want to have the results as soon as possible. Antigen tests are a quick way to know if we are infected, since the results appear in a period of 10 to 15 minutes. The problem is that antigen tests work better when there is more viral load.

know the result of a PCR or antigen test faster

PCR, the best way to know if we are infected

Thus, if we are infected and we have symptoms, it may be an indication that we have a high viral load, and therefore it is more likely to test positive. If we do not have symptoms or have a low viral load, then it is more difficult for the antigen test to detect it, and a negative result does not have to be an indication that we are not infected.

Therefore, if we are certain that we have had close contact with someone infected, PCR is the best option . Although they are more expensive (between 75 and 100 euros) compared to antigen tests (between 5 and 10 euros normally), their reliability is very high, since it makes a much more meticulous and detailed choice of the virus by detecting its RNA.

The result of the PCR usually takes at least several hours, and can be extended to one or two days after we perform the test . In the case of saturation, it is possible that the results may take several more days. The most common way of communicating a positive result of the PCR is through SMS , but if we do it through the public health, there is an option to know the result beforehand.

Faster result: your community’s health website

Most of the applications and web services of the autonomous health systems allow obtaining three types of certificates related to COVID-19: vaccination, testing, and recovery. If you have been vaccinated, you will probably have obtained the vaccination certificate, but it is also likely that you have also needed the negative test in an additional way, since currently being vaccinated does not mean that you cannot get it, but that you will simply be protected from serious symptoms and that, almost certainly, you are going to avoid hospital admission, passing COVID faster and with milder symptoms as you already have antibodies.

certificado covid 2021

Thus, if we go to the health website of our autonomous community, in the Tests section, the certificate may appear issued with a negative result hours before receiving the notification of the result on our mobile. With this, you can gain valuable hours to know if you are positive or not.