Medically reviewed by Kate Colby, MPH People with asymptomatic or mild COVID illness generally test negative after nine days, but a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test can still be positive for up to ...

Last week, I was about to go on a date, and because I'm severely immunocompromised, we agreed he would take a COVID test using one of my rapid home PCR tests. It was a courtesy—he felt perfectly fine— ...

There are three different ways to test for COVID-19: PCR tests, antigen tests and antibody tests. Here are the differences.

Free at-home Covid tests can be ordered starting Monday. Here’s what you should know about when to test and what the results mean as new variants circulate.

If you use an antigen test, a positive result is reliable, but a negative test is not always accurate. If your antigen test is negative, take another antigen test after 48 hours or take a PCR test ...

Most people who contract COVID-19 likely won’t experience symptoms for more than two weeks at most, but could test positive even after that.

So who is eligible for a PCR? Below are the current guidelines for using RATs versus PCR for each state – and the advice for what to do if you test positive or have COVID symptoms.

A false positive result is possible with a rapid COVID-19 test. It happens when a person does not have COVID-19 but still tests positive for the disease.

But lab-based PCR tests amplify the genetic material in a different way to this home-based test. So, strictly speaking, this new test is not a PCR test. The new test isn’t a RAT either.