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 ...

Over-the-counter multiplex tests for more than one illness may soon come to a pharmacy near you. Paco Burgada/iStock via Getty Images A scratchy, sore throat, a relentless fever, a pounding head and a ...

Another is that serial testing – 2 tests taken 24 to 36 hours apart – is critical with rapid tests. This is because we observed that if a person had an infection that was detected by a PCR test for at ...

If proven to be accurate, the point-of-care test could provide the NHS with a highly scalable, low-cost diagnostic tool. It ...

The pandemic isn’t over. Although it's no longer considered a national and public health emergency, we're currently seeing a surge in cases and the spread of two new variants—EG.5 (Eris) and BA.2.86 ( ...

What does it mean if a person's rapid antigen test result comes back positive after five days of isolation due to COVID-19? According to the experts, that person is most likely still carrying a viral ...

Medical professionals can usually collect samples very quickly. However, people may have to wait for the results. While rapid tests take only around 15 minutes, slower tests may require an 8-hour wait ...

New federal rules will soon require private insurers to cover the rapid coronavirus tests that Americans buy in pharmacies and other stores. I interviewed insurers and policy experts about how this ...

COVID-19 rapid tests are easy to take—and then toss. So most people never report their results, which leaves health officials with an incomplete picture of how much virus is circulating and where. The ...