China PCR Test

Also known as an Antigen test, it detects the presence of viral RNA. It aims to answer: do I have the virus now? This requires taking a swab from the throat and nose and then analysing the specimen in the lab using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

The test is taken to:
⦁ Diagnose infection
⦁ Test following infection to see if the virus has been cleared
⦁ Screen asymptomatic individuals to detect if they carry virus and are potentially infectious

These tests are currently widely used for travel where the airline or destination country requires a negative result and certificate within specified time periods (which can be checked on the UK government website).

Your China PCR Results Certificate and Fit to Fly Certificate will be issued the same day within 6 hours.

We have a number of partner laboratories we work with. We only use laboratories with the highest accreditation standards, such as UKAS approved laboratories accredited to ISO 15189.

The test has a minimum Sensitivity of 98% and a Specificity of 100%.

Sensitivity concerns the false negative rate and is expressed as a percentage: out of 100 truly positive patients, how many are detected as positive by the test? The higher the sensitivity, the fewer the numbers of false negatives. In the USA, sensitivity is often called positive percent agreement (PPA). 

Specificity concerns the false positive rate and is expressed as a percentage: out of 100 truly negative patients, how many are detected as negative by the test? The higher the specificity, the fewer the numbers of false positives. An example here would be if the test detects an antibody response to a different but related coronavirus. The individual would be informed that they have antibodies to covid-19 when in fact it would reflect infection with a different but similar coronavirus. In the USA, specificity is often called negative percent agreement (NPA). 

Results should be interpreted in context; the likelihood of a true positive or true negative will vary depending on the prevalence - how common the condition is within a population. For Covid-19, we can estimate but these numbers are not yet firm. Read more about Specificity and Sensitivity here.

Before taking the test, it is important to understand the following:

1. Do not use any nasal medication or mouthwash for at least 24 hours prior to testing. This can spoil the sample.
2. Do not chew gum or smoke for at least 2 hours prior to testing. This may spoil the sample.