Is this an emergency? If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, please see the National Library of Medicine’s list of signs you need emergency medical attention or call 911.

During a COVID-19 test, a health care worker will use swabs to take samples from inside your nose and from the back of your throat.

Image Credit: narvikk/E+/GettyImages

Image Credit: narvikk/E+/GettyImages

​Get tips on how to stay healthy, safe and sane during the novel coronavirus pandemic.​

Reach out to your health care provider before getting tested if you suspect you have COVID-19, per Johns Hopkins Medicine. If your symptoms are mild, your doc may tell you to hold off. And, if you do get tested, you’ll want to be particularly cautious to avoid spreading the infection.

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If you test too early after you think you’ve been exposed to COVID-19, you may get a false negative result, McFarlane says. (That is, the test result will be negative, when in fact, you have the virus.) The chances of having a false negative are higher the closer you are to the infection date, according to an August 2020 study in ​Annals of Internal Medicine​. “In most people the viral load is increased within reason somewhere between three to five days after infection,” McFarlane says, so wait a few days before getting tested.

“In most people the viral load is increased within reason somewhere between three to five days after infection,” McFarlane says, so wait a few days before getting tested.

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“Sample collection is key to the performance of the test providing the health care provider is appropriately trained,” McFarlane says. Look for a site that has a trained health care provider taking the sample. Many drive-through testing sites require you to take your own sample, which could be iffy, Kullar says. “You’re likely not going to give yourself a deep swab,” she adds. The same goes for at-home test kits. All samples go to a lab for results. There are approved rapid result tests, but they aren’t widely available, and it’s not clear how accurate they are, Kullar says.

Look for a site that has a trained health care provider taking the sample.

Many drive-through testing sites require you to take your own sample, which could be iffy, Kullar says.

“You’re likely not going to give yourself a deep swab,” she adds. The same goes for at-home test kits. All samples go to a lab for results. There are approved rapid result tests, but they aren’t widely available, and it’s not clear how accurate they are, Kullar says.

Ellume COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Home Test; ​Price:​ $34.99 for 1 test at Target BinaxNOW COVID‐19 Antigen Self Test; ​Price:​ $23.99 for 2 tests at CVS

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See state-by-state information on where free COVID-19 tests are available, courtesy of the HHS.

Read more stories to help you navigate the novel coronavirus pandemic:

The Ultimate Guide to Recovering From COVID-19 Here’s What We Know So Far About ‘Long COVID’ 6 Reasons You Should Get the COVID Vaccine Even if It Isn’t ‘Perfect’

  • The Ultimate Guide to Recovering From COVID-19
  • Here’s What We Know So Far About ‘Long COVID’
  • 6 Reasons You Should Get the COVID Vaccine Even if It Isn’t ‘Perfect’