As testing for COVID-19 is beginning to become more widely available in the U.S., here is some useful information from the Center for Disease Control that you should know about testing.

There are two kinds of tests available for COVID-19.

1 – Viral tests.
A viral test tells you if you have a current infection and are performed by using a swab. 

2 – Antibody tests.
An antibody test tells you if you had a previous infection of COVID-19. Antibodies can be found in the blood of people who are tested after infection and a blood test is required.  

3 – Testing.
Most people will have mild illness and can recover at home without medical care and may not need to be tested. The CDC has guidance for who should be tested, but decisions about testing are made by state and local health departments or health care providers.

If you have symptoms of COVID-19 and want to get tested, call your health care provider first. You can also visit your state or local health department’s website to look for the latest local information on testing. Although supplies of tests are increasing, it may still be difficult to find a place to get tested.

4 – After the test
If you test positive for COVID-19 by a viral test, know what protective steps to take if you are sick or caring for someone.
If you test negative for COVID-19 by a viral test, you probably were not infected at the time your sample was collected. However, that does not mean you will not get sick. The test result only means that you did not have COVID-19 at the time of testing.

5 - No vaccine for COVID-19 is currently available
There is no vaccine for COVID-19, however, vaccine trials are in progress. The National Institutes of Health recently published guidelines on prophylaxis use, testing, and management of COVID-19 patients. For more information, please visit: National Institutes of Health: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Treatment Guidelinesexternal icon.

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