The main kinds of tests for COVID-19 are antigen tests (rapid or at-home tests) and nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT or PCR tests, done through a lab).

Antigen tests look for specific viral proteins that indicate COVID infection. You can buy antigen tests in pharmacies or online. Some healthcare organizations, like SCF, also provide at-home tests for free. Test kits contain everything you need to collect a sample from your nose or mouth and to do the test yourself. They usually produce results in 15-30 minutes. Antigen tests may not detect COVID-19 early in a person’s infection. A single negative antigen test doesn’t rule out infection, a positive test result means you likely have COVID. A person who has a negative antigen test but is experiencing symptoms should contact their healthcare provider and consider staying home or masking when around other people, especially those at increased risk of severe illness, such as Elders or immunocompromised people.

NAAT or PCR tests are performed in a lab. They are more accurate, but they are usually more expensive and take longer for results to come back. These tests detect viral DNA and are the most reliable for individuals without symptoms.