A Quick and Dirty Overview of COVID-19 Tests

Photo by United Nations COVID-19 Response on Unsplash

There’s a lot of talk about the various tests available for COVID-19 and how they can aid us in stopping the spread of the virus. If you’re not a particularly science-y person, figuring out what all these tests do and why they matter might seem daunting. But I’m here to break down each type of testing into plain language and help you understand how they can help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Who Should Be Tested?

The CDC recommends that the following groups of people get viral testing for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes the disease COVID-19):

-people with symptoms of COVID-19

-asymptomatic people exposed to someone with COVID-19

-In some instances, asymptomatic people who have not had exposure to someone with COVID-19

-People tested to track the spread of the virus or for other research purposes

The Tests

Viral tests

Healthcare workers and researchers use these tests to determine whether someone is currently sick with COVID-19. If you have COVID-19 right now and get tested, these tests will most likely show a positive result. False negatives can occur, usually because of bad handling of the test, not getting a good enough swab, or testing…