COVID-19 Testing

When to Get Tested for COVID-19

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you get tested for COVID-19 if:

• You’re experiencing COVID-19 symptoms (possibly including shortness of breath, coughing, fever, chills, fatigue, headache, muscle or body aches, congestion, a runny nose, throat soreness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or new loss of taste or smell)
• You were recently exposed to COVID-19 (you should wait at least five days after exposure to improve the accuracy of your test results)
• You’re planning to be in contact with someone at high risk for severe COVID-19 symptoms (for example, an older adult, an immunocompromised person, or someone with an underlying medical condition such as diabetes or heart disease)

If you find yourself in a high-risk setting, you may also need to undergo a COVID-19 test for screening purposes.

Types of COVID-19 Tests

The following two types of viral tests can identify current COVID-19 infections:

• Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) – These tests detect COVID-19 viral genetic material. They generally take more time to produce results than antigen tests, but tend to be more reliable. A PCR test is a type of NAAT. At Yale New Haven Health Urgent Care, we offer RAPID PCR tests for our patients so you can get accurate results returned the same day.
• Antigen tests – These rapid tests detect proteins specific to the COVID-19 virus. They often produce results more quickly than NAATs but are typically less reliable. Most self-tests are antigen tests.

Antibody tests (also known as “serology tests”) cannot diagnose current COVID-19 infections, but can instead be used to determine whether someone was previously infected with the virus. These tests detect certain proteins (IgM and IgG antibodies) that are produced by the body’s immune system in response to a COVID-19 exposure. Unlike the diagnostic tests referenced above (which involve an anterior nasal swab), antibody tests require a blood draw.

Urgent Care COVID-19 Testing Near You

If you’re concerned that you might have COVID-19, we invite you to schedule a 24/7 telemedicine visit with one of Yale New Haven Health Urgent Care’s experienced providers. During this appointment, we’ll remotely prescreen you for COVID-19 and let you know whether you should visit one of our immediate care centers for an in-person test. If we recommend testing, we’ll let you know how to preregister, and we’ll prioritize your test once you arrive. For information on how to obtain your test results, visit our Patient FAQs page.

Your health and well-being are of utmost importance to the team at Yale New Haven Health Urgent Care, and we want you to know that we are doing everything possible to keep you safe during these uncertain times. As always, you can visit our urgent care centers with complete confidence. In addition to our standard infection control protocols, we are taking further steps to protect our patients and staff from COVID-19, including sanitizing our facilities throughout the day.