Testing for COVID-19: May 1, 2020

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (U.S.). Division of Viral Diseases.
• Description:
  Two kinds of tests are available for COVID-19: viral tests and antibody tests.
  
  • A viral test tells you if you have a current infection.
  
  • An antibody test tells you if you had a previous infection.
  
  An antibody test may not be able to show if you have a current infection, because it can take 1-3 weeks after infection to make antibodies. We do not know yet if having antibodies to the virus can protect someone from getting infected with the virus again, or how long that protection might last.
  
  If you are at higher risk for serious illness -- If you are very sick get medical attention immediately -- For healthcare professionals.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Clinical Laboratory Techniques Coronavirus Infections/diagnosis COVID-19 Testing Diagnostic Tests, Routine Laboratories
• Series:
  Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• Document Type:
  Text
• Collection(s):
  Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:01b80b294d1d42156152617ba086547a8d7b3d67a795bbd8a1204d318528e45f0dd8410f54d13d91ffa3a94a19e105b96d94f5fdd10b6812981cedaafa1c005c
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/87844/cdc_87844_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 71.39 KB ]