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For You
Summary
COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is a disease caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2. There are two types of tests for this virus:
- A viral test tells you if you have a current infection. Viral tests can either be rapid tests or laboratory tests:
- Rapid tests can be done in minutes. They are often antigen tests, which look for specific proteins from the virus. Some rapid tests are self-tests which you can do at home.
- Laboratory tests can take days to complete and include PCR tests.
- An antibody (serology) test might tell you if you had a past infection.
If you need a COVID-19 test, you can:
- Buy a self-test online or at a store. Make sure that the test you buy has been authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- Check your state or local health department's website for information on testing in your area.
- Contact your health care provider.
Even if your COVID-19 viral test is negative (the test did not detect the virus), you should still take steps to protect yourself and others.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Diagnosis and Tests
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Antibody Serology Tests
(National Library of Medicine)
Also in Spanish
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At-Home Medical Tests
(National Library of Medicine)
Also in Spanish
- Directory of Local Health Departments (National Association of County and City Health Officials)
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PCR Tests
(National Library of Medicine)
Also in Spanish
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Rapid Tests
(National Library of Medicine)
Also in Spanish
- Testing for COVID-19 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Specifics
- At-Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
- COVID-19 Antibody Testing (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- How Do COVID-19 Antibody Tests Differ from Diagnostic Tests? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- How Do I Know if the Expiration Date of My At-Home COVID-19 Test Has Been Extended? (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
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Nasal Swab
(National Library of Medicine)
Also in Spanish
Statistics and Research
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Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx)
(National Institutes of Health)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: COVID-19 Antibody Test
(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: COVID-19 Viral Test
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Children
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): Getting Tested (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): Viral Testing (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Self-testing for COVID-19 (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish