Coronavirus Testing

If you don’t feel well, you may wonder if you have COVID-19. That’s the respiratory disease caused by a new kind of coronavirus. But testing isn’t available for everyone right now. That might change in the future.

There isn’t a treatment for COVID-19. So if your symptoms are mild, your doctor will probably urge you to get better at home. They’ll want you to stay away from others.

Call your doctor first. If you don’t have one, try your local hospital, health department, or an urgent care center. If you think it’s an emergency, call 911. Whoever you call, you’ll need to tell them about your symptoms over the phone or during an online visit. Then they’ll decide if you need a test.

1. Do you have a fever or cough?
2. Do you have shortness of breath?
3. Have you been in close contact (within 6 feet) with someone who has COVID-19?
4. Has someone with COVID-19 coughed or sneezed on you?
5. Have you traveled recently?
6. Did a health official tell you you’ve been exposed to COVID-19?

Tell them if you’re over 60 or have another health problem. That makes it more likely that you could have serious problems from the virus, even if your symptoms seem mild now.

Some of those health problems include:

1. Heart, lung, or kidney disease
2. High blood pressure
3. Diabetes
4. Cancer
5. Immune-suppression therapy (drugs that slow down your body's immune system)

Your doctor or another health care professional will tell you where to go. They’ll also give you some special instructions. Those might include wearing a mask or going to a certain part of the hospital or clinic. Drive-through testing is available in some areas.

A health care worker will take a sample of your respiratory tract. It won’t hurt, but it might be a little uncomfortable. They’ll put a small cotton swab up your nose. They may also swipe your throat. If you’re coughing up mucus, they might test that, too.

They’ll send your sample to a lab to check it for SARS-CoV-2. That’s the virus that causes COVID-19.

Each state has one or more public health labs that does testing. That number is growing. For information about your state's health department, check online at the CDC.

It may take a lab about 24 hours to run your test. But you might not get your results for several days. Future tests might be faster.

If you can’t get tested, you may still need medical help if you have a high fever or a serious breathing problem. Call your doctor or 911 to find out what to do.

Other signs that you need help right away include:

1. Pain or pressure in your chest
2. Confusion
3. Trouble staying alert
4. A blue tint to your lips or face