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 ...

The last thing most of us want to do is unknowingly get another person sick with COVID-19, but heading into the doctor’s office to get tested can be inconvenient. But just how accurate are the rapid, ...

How do rapid antigen COVID-19 tests work? Why did the US government just pledge to buy 280 million of them? And is that even enough to help curb the spread of the virus? As part of President Biden’s ...

Rapid COVID tests are convenient and easy to use because you can take them at home. But it's important to know how to interpret their results, when you should take another rapid test and when you ...

The announcement came last week with the White House signaling a billion-dollar investment in at-home rapid coronavirus tests. It also said 20,000 pharmacies across the country would offer free ...

They can result in false negatives, but they remain a valuable tool in stopping the spread of Covid-19. Here’s how to use them most effectively. By Dana G. Smith We’ve all heard the anecdotes: Your ...

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 ...

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 ...

The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research. As winter begins and the holidays are in full swing, the COVID-19 pandemic ...

Whether you’re testing before heading back to work or want to check your own Covid status before traveling or heading to an event, there are a number of good rapid Covid tests that you can buy online ...

Dr. McNally is a professor in microbial genomics at the University of Birmingham in Britain, where he set up mass PCR and rapid testing capacity for students. He also helped lead one of the British ...