- No test is ever perfect. All tests occasionally result in false positive results (the test result should be negative because you DO NOT have COVID-19 but comes back positive) or false negative results
(the test result should be positive because you DO have COVID-19 but comes back negative). Sometimes the results are not definitive (the result is unclear, and you don’t know if it is positive or
negative). For this and other reasons, results should always be reviewed by a healthcare professional. - viral tests are typically performed on respiratory specimens such as nasal swabs or throat swabs. They test for the presence of the virus, usually by testing for the virus’s RNA or sometimes by testing
for the virus’s proteins (“antigen testing”). Antigen testing may be less sensitive than tests for the virus’s RNA. If your antigen test is negative, please ask your healthcare provider if additional testing
with an RNA test is needed and how long you should stay home. - Antibody testing, also called “serologic testing” or “serology”, is typically performed on a blood sample. Ideally, the results show whether you have ever been infected with the virus in the past or
may be currently infected. Antibody tests check for antibodies that appear in the blood between about one and three weeks after symptom onset and may remain as long as a lifetime. Antibody tests
may be positive while a person is infected. It is not yet known whether these antibodies p
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