Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and rapid (antigen) tests for COVID-19 both involve taking a swab. Results for a PCR test take longer, as it needs to go to a laboratory. It is more costly but tends to ...

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Rapid tests work well on Omicron variants, but only if your viral load is high at the time. You need to reach a certain threshold before any test — PCR or rapid — can detect your infection. Experts ...

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Now that COVID-19 is regularly circulating through communities, it’s hard to know if you should take a COVID test every time you have a sniffle. Gone are the days of COVID testing centers on every ...

NEW YORK -- Millions of Americans have purchased rapid COVID-19 tests online or at local stores and signed up to receive test kits through a free government program. Unlike conventional, lab-processed ...

A lot of us are thinking about how to celebrate the holidays while feeling a little more Covid-19-safe this year. Testing is one tool for that, and here’s a little how-to video on using an at-home ...

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were the first available for spotting the coronavirus. They work by detecting the virus’s genetic material, and are very accurate. Then came rapid tests, also ...

With Covid-19 cases up across the country, many people are once again relying on home tests to guide decisions about going to work and sending their kids to school and other activities. A lot of those ...

This article was reviewed by Darragh O’Carroll, MD. Understanding Blood Tests: How They Work and What They Can Tell You Blood ...

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 29: In this photo illustration a man uses a COVID-19 rapid antigen test kit at home on September 29, 2021 in Sydney, Australia. Australians will be able to use rapid ...