![]() ![]() These tests are more expensive than other types of test kits, but they can be useful. There are now three FDA-approved at-home COVID test kits designed to bring PCR-like technology into the home: Lucira Check It At Home Test, Cue COVID-19 Test, and Metrix by Aptitude. Although these are less common than at-home antigen tests, mail-back PCR tests are still available. The lab tests the material, and you get your results by phone or online. And that means you can be more confident that you’re not infected if the result comes back negative.Īt the beginning of the pandemic, at-home PCR tests had you collect a swab of material from your nose and send it by mail to a lab (in a sealed tube or bag). This makes PCR testing more sensitive than antigen testing. So they can detect the virus even at very low levels. PCR tests rapidly make thousands of copies of a virus’s DNA found in a sample from your nose. But there are some at-home PCR tests, too. Typically you get PCR tests from your healthcare provider. These tests are usually sent to a laboratory and take a couple of days to come back. The most accurate COVID test is a PCR test (sometimes called a molecular test, nucleic acid amplification test, or NAAT test). Other more accurate ways of testing for COVID are available in a medical setting. ![]() In the meantime, take steps to avoid possibly spreading it - isolate yourself and assume you’re contagious with COVID.Īnd, if your at-home COVID test results don’t seem to make sense, talk with a healthcare provider. If you think you have COVID but your at-home COVID antigen test is negative, repeat the test in 48 hours. You have a variant of the virus that the test doesn’t detect very well. You didn’t use the test correctly, or the test was damaged or expired. You didn’t get a very good swab from inside your nose. You have a very mild case, or you’re starting to get better. You tested too early (fewer than 5 days after an exposure). You might have a negative antigen test but actually have a COVID infection. This means a positive result on an at-home antigen test is a strong sign that you have COVID.īut a negative result needs careful consideration. And they may even be less accurate with newer variants of the virus. They’re not as good at detecting low levels of the virus, which can happen during the first few days of an infection or after you start to feel better. How accurate are at-home COVID-19 tests?Īt-home COVID antigen tests are pretty good at detecting the virus that causes COVID while you’re experiencing symptoms. They can’t detect antibodies or other signs of immunity in your body. The test is only looking to see if you currently have the virus. Keep in mind that at-home COVID tests look for signs of the virus itself. If only a small amount of virus is present, the test may not pick it up and result in a negative result. There needs to be a pretty heavy load of virus in your nose for the test to turn positive. That means that even if the test is negative, you could still have the virus that causes COVID-19. The downside of antigen testing is that these tests aren’t very sensitive. Rapid antigen tests are useful because they work quickly and don’t require much equipment. When you use the test correctly, viral antigens the swab picks up cause an indicator area on a test strip or card to change color. Rapid antigen tests use microscopic tags that recognize viral particles, or antigens, in the mucus from your nose. How do at-home COVID-19 tests work?įor the most part, at-home COVID tests are rapid antigen (Ag or RAT) tests. The kits are available over the counter (OTC) in many pharmacies and online. The kits typically include:Ī swab to collect material from inside your nose If it doesn’t, the test will be negative (-).Īt-home COVID test kits contain all the materials and instructions you need to test yourself - or someone else - for COVID. If the test detects this virus, the test will be positive (+). What is an at-home COVID-19 test?ĬOVID tests are designed to detect an infection in your body caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, the culprit behind COVID. Here we’ll answer some common questions about at-home COVID tests, including how they work, who should use them, and when. This makes a big difference when it comes to keeping the virus from spreading through communities. And most people can complete a test without leaving home. It only takes a few minutes to find out if you have COVID and if you could spread the virus. The disease spread quickly - in part because many people didn’t know they were contagious. Testing for COVID-19 got off to a slow start at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. ![]()
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