Rapid Antigen Test

What is a Rapid COVID-19 Antigen test?

A rapid COVID-19 Antigen Test detects proteins from the virus which causes COVID-19. This type of test is considered most accurate in those individuals who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Rapid tests allow public health to detect disease sooner, decrease spread faster and start contact tracing earlier.

Fast Results!

Antigen tests produce results quickly (within approximately 15–30 minutes). Antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 are generally less sensitive than real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and other nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), which detect and amplify the presence of viral nucleic acid. However, NAATs may remain positive for weeks to months after initial infection and can detect levels of viral nucleic acid even when virus cannot be cultured, suggesting that the presence of viral nucleic acid may not always indicate contagiousness.