Also called: COVID-19 Antibody Test · COVID-19 Viral Test · SARS-CoV-2 Testing
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About COVID-19 Testing
COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is a disease caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2. There are two types of tests for this virus:
- A viral test tells you if you have a current infection. Viral tests can either be rapid tests or laboratory tests: Rapid tests can be done in minutes. They are often antigen tests, which look for specific proteins from the virus. Some rapid tests are self-tests which you can do at home.
- Laboratory tests can take days to complete and include PCR tests.
If you need a COVID-19 test, you can:
- Buy a self-test online or at a store. Make sure that the test you buy has been authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- Check your state or local health department's website for information on testing in your area.
- Contact your health care provider.
Even if your COVID-19 viral test is negative (the test did not detect the virus), you should still take steps to protect yourself and others.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
It sits within Diagnostic Tests.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on COVID-19 Testing
492 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Serological and PCR Testing for COVID-19Richmond Research Institute
- The Family Stress Study - Chronic Stress and Child Adiposity: Testing a Bio-behavioural ModelUniversity of Guelph
- Diagnostic and Clinical Management of Non-Obstructive Myocardial Ischemia in Patients With Long Covid-19 Syndrome and New Onset Chest PainFundacion Investigacion Interhospitalaria Cardiovascular
- Evaluation of Concordance Between Exhaled Air Test (eBAM-CoV) and RT-PCR to Detect SARS-CoV-2Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nīmes
- One-year Outcomes in Survivors of the Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia (CO-Qo-ICU)Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice
Research already completed
- Leveraging Social Networks to Increase COVID-19 Testing UptakeNew York State Psychiatric Institute
- COVID-19 Vaccine Education at the Point of Testing to Increase Vaccine Uptake in Vulnerable Communities in SE LouisianaXavier University of Louisiana.
- Assessing Testing Strategies for Safe Return to K-12 Schools in an Underserved PopulationWashington University School of Medicine
- Leveraging CHWs to Improve COVID-19 Testing and Mitigation Among CJIs Accessing a Corrections-focused CBOMontefiore Medical Center
- CT Abnormalities Evocative of Lung Infection Are Associated With Lower 18F-FDG Uptake in Confirmed COVID-19 PatientsCentral Hospital, Nancy, France
- Effects of a Physical Rehabilitation Program on Long COVIDUniversidade do Estado do Pará
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- COVID-19 Test BasicsFood and Drug Administration
Diagnosis and Tests
- Antibody Serology TestsNational Library of Medicine
- At-Home Medical TestsNational Library of Medicine
- Directory of Local Health DepartmentsNational Association of County and City Health Officials
- PCR TestsNational Library of Medicine
- Rapid TestsNational Library of Medicine
- Testing for COVID-19Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Statistics and Research
- RADx ProgramsNational Institutes of Health
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: COVID-19 Antibody TestNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: COVID-19 Viral TestNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under COVID-19 Testing. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for COVID-19 Testing, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.