Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and rapid (antigen) tests for COVID-19 both involve taking a swab. Results for a PCR test take longer, as it needs to go to a laboratory. It is more costly but tends to ...

At the start of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic people who felt unwell had to join long queues for lab-based PCR tests and then wait for two days to learn if they were infected with the COVID-19 virus or not.

Editor's note, March 7, 2023: The recommendations in this article are out of date and will not be updated going forward. Should you feel sick, we recommend talking to a health care professional.

The first challenge with rapid at-home self tests for COVID-19 is getting one. But once you have a test, there are now growing questions about what body part you should swab to get the most accurate ...

New guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) withdrawing their request for Emergency Use Authorization for a coronavirus test introduced in February 2020 do not mean ...

PCR genetic analysis has been in the spotlight since COVID-19, but light is now further facilitating PCR-free methods. Osaka Metropolitan University scientists have developed a light-induced DNA ...