There are a few options for viral COVID-19 tests. The main two types of tests are PCR tests and rapid antigen tests:
PCR Test (NAAT is an alternative name)
- Most accurate test currently available
- Typically administered by health providers at a clinic or pharmacy and analyzed in a laboratory
- Results in typically in 24-72 hours
Rapid Antigen Test
- Less accurate than PCR tests
- Results in as little as 15 minutes when taken at home
- Can be self-administered with an at-home testing kit, or taken at a testing site
There’s another kind of test known as an antibody test, which can help indicate whether you have had COVID-19 in the past. Antibody tests are used by scientists to better understand the virus, but they are not used to determine whether you currently have an infection.
Added January 20, 2022