Testing

Testing For more information on COVID-19 testing please visit Mount Sinai’s Testing and Treatment website.

COVID-19 Rapid or Antigen Test

An antigen is a substance that induces an immune response. These tests have the advantage of rapidly detecting viral particles from samples collected by nasal swabs. These tests are authorized for point-of-care testing and for rapid home testing. Positive results from antigen tests are highly accurate, especially when the test is administered to an individual with COVID symptoms. There is a higher chance of a false negative result, so negative results do not rule out infection and should be confirmed by molecular testing.

COVID-19 PCR or Molecular Test

Molecular tests or PCR tests detect the presence of COVID-19 virus genetic material (viral RNA). These tests are believed to be highly accurate, and both positive and negative tests are reliable. These tests offer the advantage of accurate determination of infected versus non-infected people but have limitations in turnaround time for the test results, as well as regional variation in test availability.

Antibody or Serological Test

These tests detect antibody presence in people who mounted an immune response to an infection or vaccination. These tests can help assess whether a previously infected individual has some degree of protection against reinfection with the same virus, might have had an unrecognized infection or one with minimal symptoms, or might still be at risk despite vaccination, such as immunocompromised individuals. Most useful in convalescent plasma donation for potential treatment of severely ill COVID-19 patients.1-2