PCR Test | What You Need To Know Before Travelling

A Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a technique used to test for the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 accurately. It only requires a single sample, usually collected by inserting a swab into a person’s nose. The test can either come back positive, meaning you’re infected, or negative, to show you don’t have Covid-19.

The Science Behind PCR Testing

PCR tests detect the genetic material from a sample by rapidly making millions of copies of its DNA. In short, it directly studies the antigen rather than the body’s immune response. By doing this, the PCR test gives a good indication of whether a person has the virus even in its early stages. 

Conducting Covid-19 PCR Testing

In a Covid-19 PCR test, a health care professional takes a sample of your mucus and sends it to a laboratory to extract and test its genetic material.

Here are the key steps to a PCR test;

1. Your doctor will insert a long nasal swab to the back of your nostrils, where it’ll remain briefly before he or she takes it out. A shorter nasal swab will give the same results, only this time, the sample will come from the front nasal cavity. A swab has a thin, flexible stick with cotton at the end.
2. When the sample gets to the lab, a technician uses chemicals and equipment to extract its DNA material.
3. The technician then places the material into a tube containing testing chemicals and later into the PCR machine.
4. The machine, also called a thermal cycler, amplifies the genetic material by making millions of its copies.
5. If the PCR cannot copy the DNA extract, then there’s no virus in the sample, and the test result will be negative.

PCR Testing When Travelling

Travelling requires spending a lot of time on flights and security lines, which could bring you into contact with infected people and surfaces. Testing before and after can help reduce the risk of spreading the virus, making you safer in airports as well as the destinations you are visiting. 

Getting Tested Before Travelling;

Some vital things you need to do before boarding your international flight include;

1. Get your PCR test 1-3 days before your flight departs and make sure you get your results. If you need to wait for results, delay your travel plans.
2. Cancel your flight if you test positive. Instead, immediately go into self-isolation and follow the recommendations by health officials.
3. A negative test doesn’t mean you can’t develop Covid-19. Make sure you wear a mask, maintain social distancing, and wash your hands.

Get Tested And Quarantine After Travelling;

1. You should get a PCR test for 3-5 days and self-quarantine for seven days after arriving at your destination.
2. If you test positive, then quarantine yourself for another ten days and follow the health care guidelines.
3. Avoid people at increased risk of contracting any severe illnesses for 14 days, whether you test positive or not.

Where To Get A PCR Test

When travelling, check out a country’s Covid -19 information online to see the latest news and centres where you can get a PCR test. You can also contact your doctor, who will order a PCR test and tell you where to get it.