Conducting COVID-19 PCR Testing at PHO

The Journey of a COVID-19 Sample Tested at PHO

• Once we receive a sample, the information about the sample and the patient is entered into our laboratory information system (LIS) for tracking.
• Then, a technologist uses chemicals (referred to as “reagents”) and equipment to extract the genetic material from the sample collected on the swab.
• That extracted material is then placed into a tube which contains new reagents.
• That tube is placed in a machine that can run tests on many tubes at once. This machine enables the PCR “reaction” to make millions of copies of a piece of the viral DNA. This process is called “amplification.”
• This amplification process allows even a small amount of virus to be detected if it is present in the sample.
• If the piece of DNA cannot be copied, there is no virus in the sample, or there is such a low amount that even this very sensitive test cannot detect it.

What happens after the test is done?

• The results are entered into our LIS and the health care provider who ordered the test is sent the result.
• The person who was tested is then informed of their results by the doctor (or the institution that ordered the test), or gets their results from the Government of Ontario’s results portal. For privacy reasons, PHO does not provide test results directly to patients.
• Positive COVID-19 results are also sent to the local public health unit for the area where the sample was taken. The health unit follows up and investigates outbreaks.