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CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: As experts learn more about the novel coronavirus, news and information changes. For the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As the COVID-19 pandemic stretches on and new variants are discovered, testing is still essential to slowing the spread. Luckily, tests—and quick results—are more available than ever. Whether you choose an at-home rapid COVID test, or office-administered PCR COVID test, there is a variety for every need.
Key takeaways:
- There are two types of COVID-19 tests available: diagnostic and antibody tests.
- COVID-19 testing protocols vary by state, so call your healthcare provider to find out if you should get tested.
- There are many drive-thru and walk-through testing locations in addition to doctor’s offices and other care facilities that are testing for coronavirus. You can also purchase an at-home test kit.
- Free COVID test options are available to people with and without insurance.
- Diagnostic tests are typically done via nose swab, but some at-home test kits require a saliva sample. Antibody tests are done via blood test.
- Molecular diagnostic tests are highly accurate, according to the FDA. However, sometimes a second antibody test is needed to confirm COVID-19 test results.
6 COVID test FAQs
1. Is there a test for coronavirus?
There are two types of COVID tests: diagnostic tests and antibody tests.
Diagnostic tests reveal whether you have a current infection. A positive result receives a coronavirus diagnosis. There are two types of diagnostic tests: antigen and PCR tests. Tests can either be rapid or sent to a lab for analysis.
The other type of testing is antibody testing, which checks your blood for evidence of a past infection. One to three weeks after a person has COVID-19, their system will begin to produce antibodies, a protein that helps fight infection. An antibody test cannot be used to determine whether someone currently has COVID-19 (and it’s still unclear whether antibodies will indeed protect someone from getting COVID-19 a second time).
2. Who is getting tested for COVID-19?
If you’ve been in close contact with someone who has coronavirus or you begin to display COVID-19 symptoms like a fever, cough, sore throat, or shortness of breath, your first course of action, per the CDC, is to isolate and get tested. A healthcare professional or local health department can direct you to a testing site, if needed.
RELATED: Mild, moderate, and severe symptoms of COVID-19
If you’re not under the care of a healthcare provider and begin exhibiting what the CDC calls “emergency warning signs” of coronavirus, which include persistent chest pain, difficulty breathing, or blueish face and/or lips, you should seek immediate medical attention. Let whoever is admitting you know that you think you may have coronavirus and wear a mask.
3. Where can I find a COVID test near me?
Many pharmacies, doctor’s offices, and urgent care centers are conducting the COVID test. Many states have also implemented drive-thru and walk-through testing centers. You can use the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services site to find a location near you. Most of the time, pharmacies and health clinics are too overwhelmed to handle walk-ins, so you’ll likely need an appointment—although sometimes you can snag a same-day appointment.
But you may not even have to go into a lab to get tested: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given emergency use authorization to more than 100 companies to allow self-testing of samples collected by patients using an at-home COVID test kit. You can order a kit, receive it in the mail, swab your nose or collect a saliva sample, and then mail the kit back in an insulated package for analysis. Or, you can pick up an at-home test kit at a local pharmacy and see your results at home. However, at-home COVID tests can expire so you may want to visit a COVID-19 testing site to verify your results with additional testing.
4. How much does the COVID test cost?
Free testing at community testing sites is available to people with Medicare and Medicaid. Many commercial health insurance plans will still cover on-site testing but as of Jan. 15, 2022, the federal government has required all health plans to cover over-the-counter at-home COVID tests. All U.S. households—even uninsured Americans—can sign up to receive free at-home tests in the mail at covidtests.gov. Congress passed legislation to ensure that anyone who needs a COVID test would be able to get one without having to worry about cost. However, there are still many reports of patients being hit with large out-of-pocket costs for their test. Check what the price will be before getting the test. Contact your health insurance company for additional information regarding coverage of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.
5. How do you test for coronavirus?
COVID testing requires a healthcare worker or technician to insert a swab into your nostril to reach the nasopharyngeal region (basically, the back of your throat just behind your nose) and collect cells. It can also be collected via nasal mid-turbinate swab or anterior nares (nasal swab) with a smaller swab or via oropharyngeal (back of throat) as the only sample. The process, while uncomfortable, lasts only about 10 seconds.
The swabs are then tested either using point-of-care or at home testing equipment or in a lab to determine if the virus’ genetic markers are present and you are indeed infected. While you wait for results, it is best to self-isolate to avoid coronavirus transmission.
6. How accurate is the COVID test?
Despite initially faulty tests, the underlying technology behind the molecular COVID-19 diagnostic test is considered highly accurate by the medical community. Antigen tests and antibody tests may be less accurate. For example, if you receive an antigen test too soon, you may receive a false negative test. You might require a second test to confirm the negative result.
The COVID Tracking Project provides external links to information on up-to-date cases of COVID-19 by state, as well as deaths and hospitalizations.
