COVID-19 Testing Overview

Two kinds of tests are available for COVID-19: viral tests and antibody tests.

• A viral test tells you if you have a current infection.
• An antibody test might tell you if you had a past infection.

• People who have symptoms of COVID-19.
• People who have had close contact (within 6 feet for a total of 15 minutes or more) with someone with confirmed COVID-19.
• People who have taken part in activities that put them at higher risk for COVID-19 because they cannot socially distance as needed, such as travel, attending large social or mass gatherings, or being in crowded indoor settings.
• People who have been asked or referred to get testing by their healthcare provider, localexternal icon or state ​health department.

Not everyone needs to be tested. If you do get tested, you should self-quarantine/isolate at home pending test results and follow the advice of your health care provider or a public health professional.

How to get tested for current COVID-19 infection

• You can visit your state or localexternal icon health department’s website to look for the latest local information on testing.
• If you have symptoms of COVID-19 and want to get tested, call your healthcare provider first.

Results

• If you test positive, know what protective steps to take to prevent others from getting sick.
• If you test negative, you probably were not infected at the time your sample was collected. The test result only means that you did not have COVID-19 at the time of testing. Continue to take steps to protect yourself.