COVID-19 Testing

• Get tested right away, even if you have been vaccinated or had COVID-19 in the past. If you leave your home to get a test, wear a mask, and keep distance from other people as much as possible.
• If you use a self-test, read all of the instructions carefully. Most self-tests are antigen tests. The box should tell you what kind of test you have.
• If you had COVID-19 in the last 90 days, you still need to get tested if you develop new symptoms. You should take an antigen test instead of a molecular test (for example, a PCR or NAAT test) because molecular tests can continue to detect SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) even after you feel better.
• If you have a negative antigen test, you should have another test. Multiple negative antigen tests mean you can be more sure that you are not infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.
  • If you used a self-test, the CDC and FDA recommend repeat testing after a negative antigen result whether or not you have symptoms. Follow the manufacturer instructions in your self-test kit for when to take another test. For more details on repeat testing, refer to At-Home COVID-19 Antigen Tests-Take Steps to Reduce Your Risk of False Negative: FDA Safety Communication.
  • If you got an antigen test at a clinic or other testing location, get another antigen test in 24 to 48 hours.
  • People who have not had COVID-19 in the last 90 days can also get a PCR or other molecular test to confirm their negative antigen result. They should get the test as soon as possible after the antigen test.
• Talk to your health care provider if you have questions about what test to use and when to test.
• Visit If You Are Sick or Test Positive for information on staying home and wearing a mask if you have symptoms.

• Start wearing a mask right away and get tested five full days after the last time you were close to a person with COVID-19. Day zero is the last day of close contact, and day one starts the day after your last close contact, so you would get tested on day 6.
  • If your test result is negative, continue to wear a mask for 10 full days even if you have been vaccinated or had COVID-19 in the past. For information on what to do if you have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19, visit Close Contacts or Exposure to COVID-19.
  • If you start to have symptoms, get tested right away.
• If you have a negative result from an antigen test, the CDC and FDA recommend repeat testing whether or not you have COVID-19 symptoms.
  • If you used a self-test, the CDC and FDA recommend repeat testing after a negative antigen result. Follow the manufacturer instructions in your self-test kit for when to take another test. For more details on repeat testing, refer to At-Home COVID-19 Antigen Tests-Take Steps to Reduce Your Risk of False Negative: FDA Safety Communication.
  • If you got an antigen test at a clinic or other testing location, get another antigen test in 24 to 48 hours.
  • People who have not had COVID-19 in the last 90 days can also get a PCR or other molecular test to confirm their negative antigen result. They should get the test as soon as possible after the antigen test.
• If you tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 30 days, you do not need to get tested after close contact with a person with COVID-19 if you do not have symptoms.
• Talk to your health care provider if you have questions about what test to use and when to test.
• Visit Close Contact or Exposure to COVID-19 for more information about what to do if you had close contact with someone with COVID-19, including how long to wear a mask and other precautions to take after an exposure.

Travel within the United States

• Visit CDC: Domestic Travel During COVID-19 for more information on vaccination and testing requirements.

International travel

• Visit CDC: International Travel for more information vaccination and testing requirements.

• Test on the day of an indoor gathering or event, as close to the time of the event as possible, especially if you will be around people who are immunocompromised, at higher risk of severe disease, or older adults. Refer to CDC's People with Certain Medical Conditions and Risks and Vaccine Information for Older Adults for more information.
• Do not attend any gathering if you have symptoms of COVID-19, regardless of the test result.
• Following any event, test immediately if you develop symptoms. If you had close contact with someone with COVID-19, test five full days after the event (test on day six).

If you are around someone who is immunocompromised or at high risk of severe disease, consider getting tested before you spend time with them and consider wearing a mask when around them regardless of the COVID-19 community level. For more detailed information on illnesses or conditions that put people at higher risk of getting severely sick if they get COVID-19, visit CDC: People with Certain Medical Conditions.

People who are immunocompromised may not respond as well to COVID-19 vaccines. Talk to your health care provider for testing recommendations.

This may include first responders, health care workers, or others.

• Even if you do not have symptoms or you have not had close contact with someone known to have COVID-19, you should still get tested if there is setting-specific public health guidance or special rules for the place where you work. Ask your employer about how often you need to be tested for COVID-19.

Setting-specific guidance for testing includes:

• Guidance on K-12 school and child care settings, refer to CDC: Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care and Education Programs to Support Safe In-Person Learning.
• College and trade-school students and staff should follow testing recommendations at Institutions of Higher Education (IHE): COVID-19.
• Guidance on health care workers, refer to Health Care Worker Isolation and Quarantine Recommendations.

Follow testing requests from health care providers or public health workers. Specific recommendations may be provided for cases and contacts associated with outbreaks or clusters.