Yes, Diag can perform home sample collection service according to request of customer. Home sample collection fee for the first customer is VND 50,000, from the second customer onwards is VND 20,000/person (This fee does not include testing fee).

Our results provide our customers with detailed interpretation notes, advice, disclaimers and instructions. Please see the result for answers to your queries.

Diag is responsible for fully reporting Covid-19 test results to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and updating them on the PC-Covid application via the portal . Status and information on the PC-Covid application will be managed by the competent Government authority.

Yes, Diag’s Covid-19 RT-PCR test results can be used for immigration at the airport. However, the use of Covid-19 RT-PCR test results for immigration procedures still depends on the regulations of the airlines and the destination countries. Therefore, please carefully check the necessary information and requirements related to the test results from the airlines or the embassy to avoid any inconvenience.

Covid-19 RT-PCR tests are performed at Diag’s central laboratory.

Diag has been authorized and granted a certificate of eligibility to perform Covid-19 rapid testing as well as Covid-19 RT-PCR testing. However, other hospitals/clinics will have their own requirements regarding the use of Covid-19 test results. Therefore, please carefully check the necessary information and requirements from other hospitals/clinics to avoid any inconvenience.

Diag’s current turnaround time for Covid RT-PCR tessts is within 18-22 hours from the time our central laboratory receives the sample. However, depending on the situation and requirements of the customers, we will consider and try our best to provide the test results earlier than the time specified above.

Covid-19 RT-PCR tests at Diag will use nasal samples in adults and oropharyngeal samples in children.

Diag has the following forms of returning Covid-19 test results:
– Online results (SMS/website)
– Hard copy results (at the branches of Diag).

Yes, Covid-19 tests do not affect the fetus and are safe for pregnant women. 

The validity of the test results depends on the intended use of the customers. Diag recommends our customers to find out information from the party requesting Covid-19 test results to have the best preparation.

Cycle threshold (CT) is a numerical value generated during a Covid-19 RT-PCR test. Put simply, the CT value refers to the number of cycles that a sample needs to run, after which the virus can be detected. Most Covid-19 RT-PCR tests use CT cut-offs ranging from 35-40 cycles, so any sample with a CT value below the cut-off, would be considered a true positive.

All cut off standards for CT value are laboratory and kit specific. We at Diag use the most standard IVD and CE marked kits which have higher sensitivity and specificity and define the cut off-of CT value as 37. CT > 37 is the criterion to conclude negative. 

Viral load can vary based on the type of specimen collected and how much specimen is collected. External variables can influence CT values, including specimen transport, specimen storage conditions, how many times a specimen is frozen/thawed, and the instrument on which testing is performed. It is still unknown how much virus is needed to transmit the virus from person-to-person and cause new infections. Since CT values can vary based on many factors, it is not a good indicator of how infectious a person is or how much virus is present in a person (also known as viral load). The CT value can also change based on the stage of infection, as the amount of virus present in a person can vary during the course of their illness. A specimen may have a higher CT value (low viral load) if the patient is in their early infection and the virus is still increasing in their body, or in later stage of infection when the viral load is decreasing. In both these examples, a CT value still represents detection of the virus and that person would still be considered positives for SARS-CoV-2.

Invalid result is returned when the quality of the sample was unqualified. Incorrect sampling time, taking too early (1-3 days) after exposure causes false negatives, because the virus has not yet multiplied enough for detection. Taking the sample too late (usually from 17th sick day onwards) also causes a false negative because the body has eliminated the virus.

It is very difficult to predict why one lab has given positive results while other lab gave negative results. The discrepancy is based on many factors:
a. Time of sample collection 
b. Method of sample collection 
c. Kits used by different labs 
d. QC procedure followed by the labs
e. Cut-off values for CT used at labs
CT value of Diag is 37, according to the kits used in the lab and basis of intermachine comparison and repeatability studies. Having a higher CT value helps the detection of the lowest available viral load in a patient.