Summary
COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is an illness caused by a virus. This virus is a new coronavirus that has spread throughout the world. It is called SARS-CoV-2. There are two types of tests for this virus:
- A viral test tells you if you have a current infection
- An antibody (serology) test might tell you if you had a past infection
If you think that you need a COVID-19 test, contact your health care provider. You can also check your state or local health department's website for information on testing in your area.
Even if a test shows that you do not currently have COVID-19, you should still take steps to protect yourself and others.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Diagnosis and Tests
- Coronavirus Self-Checker (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Find Your Local Health Department (National Association of County & City Health Officials)
- How to Get a COVID-19 Test (Department of Health and Human Services)
Related Issues
- Beware of Fraudulent Coronavirus Tests, Vaccines and Treatments (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
Specifics
- 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)
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Nasal Swab
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- Test for Current COVID-19 Infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Test for Past COVID-19 Infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Videos and Tutorials
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Antibody Test for COVID-19
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Viral Test for COVID-19
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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)
- Article: COVID-19: Advances in diagnostic tools, treatment strategies, and vaccine development.
- Article: Recommendations for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 testing: a scoping review of current guidance.
- Article: Recent Developments on Therapeutic and Diagnostic Approaches for COVID-19.
- COVID-19 Testing -- see more articles
Children
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): What Are the Different Types of Tests? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish