🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 84 (from laksa131)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa084.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nytimes.com/article/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nytimes.com/article/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/article\/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html","crawl_time":1772931528,"first_indexed_time":1639780582,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,nytimes!www,\/article\/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html s443","src_root_hash":"4566504020376537684","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"How Accurate Are At-Home Covid Tests? Here’s a Quick Guide - The New York Times","meta_descriptions":["When used correctly, many rapid antigen tests are good at detecting people carrying high levels of the virus."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Advertisement\nSKIP ADVERTISEMENT\nWhen used correctly, many rapid antigen tests are good at detecting people carrying high levels of the virus.\nRapid at-home Covid test kits being handed out in Chelsea, Mass., on Dec. 17.\nCredit...\nJoseph Prezioso\/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\nJan. 3, 2022\nIn the early months of the pandemic, getting a\ncoronavirus test\ntypically required visiting a health care center, a laboratory or a dedicated testing site, a process that sometimes involved long lines and waiting\na week or more\nto get the results.\nAmericans\ncan now take rapid antigen tests\nfrom the comfort of their own homes. Many of these tests are available without a prescription and return results in just 15 minutes.\nDemand for the tests has surged in recent months, as the highly infectious Delta variant has spread and schools and offices have reopened; now the\neven more infectious Omicron variant has arrived\n. “All the manufacturers are ramping up production, but right now they can be hard to find,” said Gigi Gronvall, a testing expert at Johns Hopkins University.\nAlthough rapid antigen tests have their limitations, they are an important public health tool, experts said, particularly if you know how to use them.\n“Having that information and being able to make better decisions is very powerful,” said Mara Aspinall, an expert in biomedical diagnostics at Arizona State University who is also on the board of directors of OraSure, which makes\nrapid Covid tests\n. “And the ability to do this on a while-you-wait basis is something that we couldn’t do a year ago.”\nWhat kinds of tests are available?\nA handful of\nrapid antigen tests\nare available without a prescription, including the Abbott BinaxNOW, the\nEllume Covid-19 Home Test\nand the Quidel QuickVue At-Home Covid-19 Test. Prices start at about $7 per test, although President Biden has announced plans to reduce prices by roughly one-third.\nAll three detect small viral proteins, called antigens. The tests require rubbing a shallow nasal swab inside your nostrils and then exposing the swab to a few drops of chemicals. They provide results in about 15 minutes.\nThe tests themselves are fairly straightforward, but each one involves a slightly different procedure, which should be followed to the letter. “If you’re doing at-home tests, you must read the instructions and follow them meticulously,” said Dr. Patrick Godbey,\na former president of the College of American Pathologists.\nMs. Aspinall concurred. “This is not the time for creativity,” she said.\nImage\nA demonstration of the Ellume at-home test. Rapid antigen tests are a good option for people who have been exposed to the virus or who want to know whether their sore throat is Covid or just a cold.\nCredit...\nEllume, via Associated Press\nHow accurate are rapid antigen tests?\nPolymerase chain reaction tests, which have typically been considered the gold standard for detecting the virus, are typically performed in a laboratory and involve making many copies of the virus’s genetic material. That process helps P.C.R. tests to detect even minute traces of the virus\n.\nRapid antigen tests, which do not amplify the virus, are less sensitive than P.C.R. tests. If you take one during the earliest phase of an infection, before the virus has replicated widely, the test could return a\nfalse negative\n.\nSome of the at-home rapid antigen tests\nhave an overall sensitivity of roughly 85 percent, which means that they are catching roughly 85 percent of people who are infected with the virus and missing 15 percent. In some studies, their real-world performance\nhas been even lower\n.\nBut the tests\nare more sensitive\nin people with symptoms than without and are most sensitive during the first week of symptoms, studies have found.\nAnd antigen tests are excellent at flagging people who have high viral loads — and who are thus most likely to be actively transmitting the virus to others, experts said.\n“The more virus you have in your nose, the more virus you’re breathing out into the air, and the more virus other people can then breathe in,” Dr. Gronvall said. “The tests are very accurate, and correlate very well with P.C.R., when people are most infectious.”\nUsing the tests repeatedly — to routinely screen students for the virus, for instance —\ncan compensate for\ntheir lower sensitivity. In\none recent study\n, researchers found that when they tested infected college students and employees every three days, rapid antigen tests successfully identified 98 percent of infections, on par with P.C.R. tests.\nImage\nAbbott Labs’s BinaxNOW rapid antigen test.\nCredit...\nAbbott Labs, via Reuters\nWhen and how should I use them?\nRapid at-home antigen tests are a good option for people who have been exposed to the virus, who want to know whether a sore throat is Covid-19 or just a cold, or who want a little bit of extra assurance before visiting a vulnerable relative or after traveling to a virus hot spot, experts said.\nPeople with symptoms can take a rapid antigen test immediately, experts said, but those who have had a known exposure to the virus should wait three to five days before doing so. Testing too soon, before the virus has had a chance to replicate, increases the odds of a\nfalse negative\n.\n“And that is a critical, critical piece,” Ms. Aspinall said. “There are a lot of people taking a plane, getting off the plane and saying, ‘I’m negative — I can go visit Grandma.’”\nSome businesses, travel authorities and other organizations may not accept the results of at-home tests when proof of a negative test result is required, however.\nI tested negative. Now what?\nRapid antigen tests work best when they are used serially. If you test negative after a possible or known exposure to the virus,\nor after developing symptoms of Covid-19, you should take a second test a day or two later, experts said.\n“Tests are a moment in time,” Dr. Gronvall said. “You don’t know the day or the hour” that the virus “breached your immune defenses and took up residence.”\nBut until the tests are cheaper and more readily available, it may be difficult to persuade people to use them frequently, she noted. “We definitely need more tests on the market, and we need them to be lower cost,” Dr. Gronvall said.\nI tested positive. Now what?\nRapid antigen tests are highly specific, which means that they generate relatively few false positives. However, a positive result is more likely to be a false positive when the prevalence of the virus is low; in these instances, people may want to take a second test. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\nrecommends lab-based molecular tests\n, like a P.C.R. test, for confirmatory testing.)\nBut experts recommended not waiting for the results of a second test to begin taking precautions. If you test positive, you should isolate yourself, monitor your symptoms and seek medical care if necessary.\nConsumers should also report positive results to their local health authorities.\n“If we don’t report tests accurately, we still won’t have a good idea of the actual caseload — how many people are running around that might be contagious, that might be passing this along to other folks,” Dr. Godbey said.\nEmily Anthes\nis a reporter for The New York Times, where she focuses on science and health and covers topics like the coronavirus pandemic, vaccinations, virus testing and Covid in children.\nA version of this article appears in print on\nOct. 5, 2021\n, Section D, Page 4 of the New York edition with the headline: At-Home Covid Tests:  Valuable, if Used Right\n.\nOrder Reprints\n|\nToday’s Paper\n|\nSubscribe\nRelated Content\nCoronavirus in New York\nTracking all the latest news and updates on the coronavirus in the New York region.\nYehyun Kim for The New York Times\nJanice Chung for The New York Times\nAmir Hamja for The New York Times\nMore in Health\nCallaghan O'Hare for The New York Times\nKaoly Gutierrez for The New York Times\nHesslefors\/ullstein bild, via Getty Images\nFederica Bordoni\nEditors’ Picks\nShutterstock\nGetty Images\nTrending in The Times\nTierney L. Cross\/The New York Times\nDmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times\nGetty Images\nTim Gruber for The New York Times\nIllustration by Sam Whitney\/The New York Times\nGraham Dickie for The New York Times\nWell Go USA\nJamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times\nGrant Hindsley for The New York Times\nSebastian Siadecki for The New York Times\nAdvertisement\nSKIP ADVERTISEMENT","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to content](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/article\/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html#site-content)[Skip to site index](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/article\/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html#site-index)\n\nSearch & Section Navigation\n\nSection Navigation\n\nSearch\n\n[Health](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/health)\n\n[Log in](https:\/\/myaccount.nytimes.com\/auth\/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fsubscription%2Fonboarding-offer%3FcampaignId%3D7JFJX%26EXIT_URI%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.nytimes.com%252Farticle%252Fat-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html&asset=masthead)\n\nSaturday, March 7, 2026\n\n[Today’s Paper](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/todayspaper)\n\n[Health](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/health)\\|How Accurate Are At-Home Covid Tests? Here’s a Quick Guide\n\nhttps:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/article\/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html\n\n- Share full article\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/article\/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html#after-top)\n\nSupported by\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/article\/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html#after-sponsor)\n# How Accurate Are At-Home Covid Tests? Here’s a Quick Guide\nWhen used correctly, many rapid antigen tests are good at detecting people carrying high levels of the virus.\n\n- Share full article\n\n![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2021\/12\/29\/science\/29sci-virus-testing-new\/merlin_199395150_c4b509e2-7caa-40dc-8ae0-674b63488092-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n\nRapid at-home Covid test kits being handed out in Chelsea, Mass., on Dec. 17.Credit...Joseph Prezioso\/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\n\nBy [Emily Anthes](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/emily-anthes)\n\nJan. 3, 2022\n\nIn the early months of the pandemic, getting a [coronavirus test](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/10\/06\/us\/politics\/biden-rapid-covid-tests.html) typically required visiting a health care center, a laboratory or a dedicated testing site, a process that sometimes involved long lines and waiting [a week or more](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/08\/04\/us\/virus-testing-delays.html) to get the results.\n\nAmericans [can now take rapid antigen tests](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/06\/29\/well\/covid-at-home-test.html) from the comfort of their own homes. Many of these tests are available without a prescription and return results in just 15 minutes.\n\nDemand for the tests has surged in recent months, as the highly infectious Delta variant has spread and schools and offices have reopened; now the [even more infectious Omicron variant has arrived](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/12\/16\/health\/coronavirus-omicron-variant.html). “All the manufacturers are ramping up production, but right now they can be hard to find,” said Gigi Gronvall, a testing expert at Johns Hopkins University.\n\nAlthough rapid antigen tests have their limitations, they are an important public health tool, experts said, particularly if you know how to use them.\n\n“Having that information and being able to make better decisions is very powerful,” said Mara Aspinall, an expert in biomedical diagnostics at Arizona State University who is also on the board of directors of OraSure, which makes [rapid Covid tests](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/11\/10\/health\/home-covid-test-kits.html). “And the ability to do this on a while-you-wait basis is something that we couldn’t do a year ago.”\n\n## What kinds of tests are available?\nA handful of [rapid antigen tests](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/11\/10\/health\/home-covid-test-kits.html) are available without a prescription, including the Abbott BinaxNOW, the [Ellume Covid-19 Home Test](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/11\/10\/health\/home-covid-test-kits.html) and the Quidel QuickVue At-Home Covid-19 Test. Prices start at about \\$7 per test, although President Biden has announced plans to reduce prices by roughly one-third.\n\nAll three detect small viral proteins, called antigens. The tests require rubbing a shallow nasal swab inside your nostrils and then exposing the swab to a few drops of chemicals. They provide results in about 15 minutes.\n\n## More on the Virus\n- **Is It Cold, Flu or Covid?:** With similar symptoms, it can be difficult to tell which illness is which. [Here’s what to know](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/11\/25\/well\/cold-flu-covid-symptoms.html).\n- **Heart Problems:** One study found that a Covid infection [doubled the risk of a major cardiovascular event for up to three years afterward](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/11\/22\/well\/covid-heart-health.html). And the risk of a heart attack [triples within the first few weeks](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/10\/29\/well\/viral-infections-covid-flu-heart-attacks.html) after an infection, another suggested.\n- **Long Covid in Children:** People under 21 [are](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/09\/30\/health\/long-covid-children.html) [twice as likely to develop long-term health consequences](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/09\/30\/health\/long-covid-children.html) after a second coronavirus infection, a large study found.\n- **Covid Shots****:** The F.D.A. [approved updated Covid vaccines](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/08\/27\/health\/fda-covid-vaccines-rfk-jr.html) and limited who can get the shots. Children [under 12 need different versions of the vaccines](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/10\/07\/well\/covid-vaccine-children-parents-issues-rfk-jr.html), but many pharmacies and pediatricians’ offices aren’t stocking them. [Here's what to know](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/08\/27\/well\/covid-vaccines-guidelines-fall-2025.html).\n- **Gut Issues:** Why does Covid cause [diarrhea, constipation, pain and bloating? Here are some suggestions for](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/12\/12\/well\/eat\/covid-symptoms-diarrhea-constipation-pain-bloating.html) what to do about these conditions.\n\nThe tests themselves are fairly straightforward, but each one involves a slightly different procedure, which should be followed to the letter. “If you’re doing at-home tests, you must read the instructions and follow them meticulously,” said Dr. Patrick Godbey,a former president of the College of American Pathologists.\n\n## Editors’ Picks\n[![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/06\/well\/06WELL-TREADMILL-TREND2\/06WELL-TREADMILL-TREND2-thumbLarge.jpg)Is This Treadmill Walking Trend Good for Your Fitness?](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/06\/well\/move\/12-3-30-treadmill-workout-trend.html)\n\n[![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/07\/multimedia\/06cul-kid-harpoon-02-zwpk\/06cul-kid-harpoon-02-zwpk-thumbLarge.jpg)Meet Kid Harpoon, the Architect of Harry Styles’s Sound](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/06\/arts\/music\/kid-harpoon-harry-styles.html)\n\n[![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/05\/magazine\/screenland-animalai-04\/screenland-animalai-04-thumbLarge.jpg)Are A.I.-Generated Videos Changing How We See Animals?](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/07\/magazine\/ai-generated-videos-animals.html)\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/article\/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html#after-pp_edpick)\n\nMs. Aspinall concurred. “This is not the time for creativity,” she said.\n\nImage\n\n![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2021\/09\/29\/science\/29virus-testing2\/merlin_181286319_b6f1eca5-7699-46f6-9377-31b52111857d-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n\nA demonstration of the Ellume at-home test. Rapid antigen tests are a good option for people who have been exposed to the virus or who want to know whether their sore throat is Covid or just a cold.Credit...Ellume, via Associated Press\n\n## How accurate are rapid antigen tests?\nPolymerase chain reaction tests, which have typically been considered the gold standard for detecting the virus, are typically performed in a laboratory and involve making many copies of the virus’s genetic material. That process helps P.C.R. tests to detect even minute traces of the virus*.*\n\nRapid antigen tests, which do not amplify the virus, are less sensitive than P.C.R. tests. If you take one during the earliest phase of an infection, before the virus has replicated widely, the test could return a [false negative](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/10\/15\/world\/uk-lab-false-negative-tests.html).\n\nSome of the at-home rapid antigen testshave an overall sensitivity of roughly 85 percent, which means that they are catching roughly 85 percent of people who are infected with the virus and missing 15 percent. In some studies, their real-world performance [has been even lower](https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/mmwr\/volumes\/70\/wr\/mm7003e3.htm).\n\nBut the tests [are more sensitive](https:\/\/www.cochrane.org\/CD013705\/INFECTN_how-accurate-are-rapid-tests-diagnosing-covid-19) in people with symptoms than without and are most sensitive during the first week of symptoms, studies have found.\n\nAnd antigen tests are excellent at flagging people who have high viral loads — and who are thus most likely to be actively transmitting the virus to others, experts said.\n\n“The more virus you have in your nose, the more virus you’re breathing out into the air, and the more virus other people can then breathe in,” Dr. Gronvall said. “The tests are very accurate, and correlate very well with P.C.R., when people are most infectious.”\n\nUsing the tests repeatedly — to routinely screen students for the virus, for instance — [can compensate for](https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.abd5393) their lower sensitivity. In [one recent study](https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/jid\/article\/224\/6\/976\/6311835), researchers found that when they tested infected college students and employees every three days, rapid antigen tests successfully identified 98 percent of infections, on par with P.C.R. tests.\n\nImage\n\n![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2021\/10\/05\/science\/29virus-testing1\/merlin_177156999_75f26c8f-9456-4ceb-a9dc-d7f7cca99b4a-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n\nAbbott Labs’s BinaxNOW rapid antigen test.Credit...Abbott Labs, via Reuters\n\n## When and how should I use them?\nRapid at-home antigen tests are a good option for people who have been exposed to the virus, who want to know whether a sore throat is Covid-19 or just a cold, or who want a little bit of extra assurance before visiting a vulnerable relative or after traveling to a virus hot spot, experts said.\n\nPeople with symptoms can take a rapid antigen test immediately, experts said, but those who have had a known exposure to the virus should wait three to five days before doing so. Testing too soon, before the virus has had a chance to replicate, increases the odds of a [false negative](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/10\/15\/world\/uk-lab-false-negative-tests.html).\n\n“And that is a critical, critical piece,” Ms. Aspinall said. “There are a lot of people taking a plane, getting off the plane and saying, ‘I’m negative — I can go visit Grandma.’”\n\nSome businesses, travel authorities and other organizations may not accept the results of at-home tests when proof of a negative test result is required, however.\n\n## I tested negative. Now what?\nRapid antigen tests work best when they are used serially. If you test negative after a possible or known exposure to the virus,or after developing symptoms of Covid-19, you should take a second test a day or two later, experts said.\n\n“Tests are a moment in time,” Dr. Gronvall said. “You don’t know the day or the hour” that the virus “breached your immune defenses and took up residence.”\n\nBut until the tests are cheaper and more readily available, it may be difficult to persuade people to use them frequently, she noted. “We definitely need more tests on the market, and we need them to be lower cost,” Dr. Gronvall said.\n\n## I tested positive. Now what?\nRapid antigen tests are highly specific, which means that they generate relatively few false positives. However, a positive result is more likely to be a false positive when the prevalence of the virus is low; in these instances, people may want to take a second test. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [recommends lab-based molecular tests](https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/lab\/resources\/antigen-tests-guidelines.html#anchor_1631295313910), like a P.C.R. test, for confirmatory testing.)\n\nBut experts recommended not waiting for the results of a second test to begin taking precautions. If you test positive, you should isolate yourself, monitor your symptoms and seek medical care if necessary.\n\nConsumers should also report positive results to their local health authorities.\n\n“If we don’t report tests accurately, we still won’t have a good idea of the actual caseload — how many people are running around that might be contagious, that might be passing this along to other folks,” Dr. Godbey said.\n\n[Emily Anthes](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/emily-anthes) is a reporter for The New York Times, where she focuses on science and health and covers topics like the coronavirus pandemic, vaccinations, virus testing and Covid in children.\n\nA version of this article appears in print on Oct. 5, 2021, Section D, Page 4 of the New York edition with the headline: At-Home Covid Tests: Valuable, if Used Right. [Order Reprints](https:\/\/nytimes.wrightsmedia.com\/) \\| [Today’s Paper](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/todayspaper) \\| [Subscribe](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscriptions\/Multiproduct\/lp8HYKU.html?campaignId=48JQY)\n\n- Share full article\n\n## Related Content\n### [Coronavirus in New York](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/news-event\/coronavirus-new-york)\nTracking all the latest news and updates on the coronavirus in the New York region.\n\n- [Subways Are for Shopping? A Tough Sell for New Yorkers.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/12\/16\/nyregion\/turnstyle-mall-columbus-circle.html)\n  \n  ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/12\/16\/multimedia\/16nytoday-vmth\/16nytoday-vmth-thumbLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Yehyun Kim for The New York Times\n- [They Rushed to Buy Homes During the Pandemic. Now, Some Feel Trapped.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/11\/16\/business\/homeowners-moving-mortgage-rates.html)\n  \n  ![Sandy Lachhman and Shaun Parmassar in front of their home, purchased in 2022 right before interest rates went up.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/11\/16\/multimedia\/16biz-stuck-homeowners-01-qgph\/16biz-stuck-homeowners-01-qgph-thumbLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Janice Chung for The New York Times\n- [Mamdani was elected with a thinner résumé than his predecessors as mayor.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/live\/2025\/11\/04\/nyregion\/nyc-mayor-election\/mamdani-was-elected-with-a-thinner-resume-than-his-predecessors-as-mayor)\n  \n  Amir Hamja for The New York Times\n\n### [More in Health](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/health)\n- [As Kennedy Turns From Vaccines, MAHA Allies See a ‘Betrayal’](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/02\/health\/kennedy-maha-vaccines.html)\n  \n  ![Derrick Wynne was discharged from the Army for refusing a Covid shot. “He was using our movement to gain a huge amount of traction,” he said of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/12\/05\/multimedia\/00hs-antivax-pqbj\/00hs-antivax-pqbj-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Callaghan O'Hare for The New York Times\n- [Parents Tried to Shield Their Children From Vaccines. Instead They Got Measles.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/03\/us\/politics\/south-carolina-measles-outbreak-vaccines.html)\n  \n  ![Uptake of the vaccine has been slow, like at this public health fair at The University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Greenville, S.C.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/03\/multimedia\/03nat-measles-southcarolina-01-kcqv\/03nat-measles-southcarolina-01-kcqv-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Kaoly Gutierrez for The New York Times\n- [From 2001: Beate Uhse, 81, Entrepreneur in the Business of Erotic Goods](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/06\/world\/europe\/beate-uhse-dead.html)\n  \n  ![Beate Uhse in 1971, in front of her mail-order company headquarters in Flensburg, Germany.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/06\/obituaries\/06whm-uhse-obit\/06whm-uhse-obit-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Hesslefors\/ullstein bild, via Getty Images\n- [Banks Are Becoming Bulwarks for Vulnerable Seniors](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/28\/health\/scams-elderly-banks.html)\n  \n  ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/03\/science\/03sci-SPAN-financial-predators\/03sci-SPAN-financial-predators-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Federica Bordoni\n\n### Editors’ Picks\n- [Seat 11A: The Windowless Inside Joke at 30,000 Feet](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/07\/us\/seat-11a-no-window-ryanair-airlines.html)\n  \n  ![On certain Boeing 737 and Airbus A321 jets, row 11 offers a seat sold as a window view that shows, instead, a wall. The discovery tends to arrive after boarding.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/26\/multimedia\/00xp-Seat11A-cvmj\/00xp-Seat11A-cvmj-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Shutterstock\n- [Can a Bride Ban a Hairstyle?](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/06\/style\/wedding-planning-bridesmaid-hair-rules.html)\n  \n  ![A TikTok debate erupted after a bride said she was banning the slicked-back bun from her bridesmaids’ hairstyles.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/08\/multimedia\/08ST-SBB-WEDDINGS-bmhg\/08ST-SBB-WEDDINGS-bmhg-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Getty Images\n\n### Trending in The Times\n- [Kristi Noem Survived Many Crises. Then She Crossed a Trump Red Line.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/06\/us\/politics\/trump-noem.html)\n  \n  ![Kristi Noem testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, where her comments led the president to fire her later in the week.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/06\/multimedia\/06dc-trump-noem-gmpc\/06dc-trump-noem-gmpc-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Tierney L. Cross\/The New York Times\n- [With the World in Transition, Paris Again Emerges as a Mecca for the Arts](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/05\/arts\/design\/tefaf-maastricht-france.html)\n  \n  ![“We are still very open in Paris,” said Nicolas Fournery, a gallerist who is showing at TEFAF for the second year. “When you compare with the United States and other countries, they are closing, but we are not in the same mood in France.”](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/06\/multimedia\/06sp-tefaf-paris-inyt-03-bwpm\/06sp-tefaf-paris-inyt-03-bwpm-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times\n- [Is This Treadmill Walking Trend Good for Your Fitness?](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/06\/well\/move\/12-3-30-treadmill-workout-trend.html)\n  \n  ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/06\/well\/06WELL-TREADMILL-TREND2\/06WELL-TREADMILL-TREND2-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Getty Images\n- [Where Corn and Soybeans Rule, the ‘Oat Mafia’ Fights for Turf](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/06\/us\/oat-farmers-midwest.html)\n  \n  ![The original Oat Mafia members: from left, Kevin Connelly, Martin Larsen and Tom Pyfferoen. They remember growing oats when they were younger for animal feed. Now they are growing it for people.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/27\/multimedia\/00nat-oat-mafia-01-hmcz\/00nat-oat-mafia-01-hmcz-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Tim Gruber for The New York Times\n- [Opinion: There Is One Crucial Reason We’re Talking About Boots on the Ground](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/07\/opinion\/trump-iran-nuclear-weapons-enriched-uranium-war.html)\n  \n  ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/07\/opinion\/07calabresi-hennigan-image\/07calabresi-hennigan-image-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Illustration by Sam Whitney\/The New York Times\n- [A New Casino Is Coming to Queens, With High Stakes for the Neighbors](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/06\/realestate\/flushing-meadows-corona-park-casino-development-concerns.html)\n  \n  ![Flushing, Queens is home to a bustling enclave of Asian Americans.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/06\/multimedia\/06re-queenscasino-ctlk\/06re-queenscasino-ctlk-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Graham Dickie for The New York Times\n- [‘Youngblood’ Review: He’s Got a Reason to Be Chippy](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/05\/movies\/youngblood-review.html)\n  \n  ![Ashton James in “Youngblood.”](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/06\/multimedia\/05cul-youngblood-review-gfqk\/05cul-youngblood-review-gfqk-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Well Go USA\n- [Former Presidents Speak at Jesse Jackson’s Memorial](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/video\/us\/politics\/100000010759061\/jesse-jackson-memorial-us-presidents.html)\n  \n  ![The casket of the Rev. Jesse Jackson arrived at the House of Hope for a service in Chicago on Friday morning.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/06\/multimedia\/06nat-jackson-funeral-am-gwzh\/06nat-jackson-funeral-am-gwzh-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times\n- [To Cut Housing Costs, Some States Are Easing Fire Safety Rules](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/04\/business\/single-staircase-apartment-buildings.html)\n  \n  ![The lone set of stairs in the Fremont View apartment building in Seattle. With just one staircase, the eight-story multifamily building, which opened in 2024, could be built on a smaller lot.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/18\/multimedia\/00biz-square-feet-single-staircases-01-gzkl\/00biz-square-feet-single-staircases-01-gzkl-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Grant Hindsley for The New York Times\n- [Anjimile’s Stark Folk Left Fans ‘Mesmerized.’ He’s Ready for Rebirth.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/04\/arts\/music\/anjimile-youre-free-to-go.html)\n  \n  ![“Living takes work,” Anjimile said. “Sometimes, it’s really hard but I feel like I have a base line now of ‘I’m going to be OK.’”](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/05\/multimedia\/04cul-anjimile-01-qzvh\/04cul-anjimile-01-qzvh-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Sebastian Siadecki for The New York Times\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/article\/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html#after-bottom)\n\n## Site Index\n[Go to Home Page »](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/)\n\nNews\n\n- [Home Page](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/)\n- [U.S.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/us)\n- [World](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/world)\n- [Politics](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/politics)\n- [New York](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/nyregion)\n- [Education](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/education)\n- [Sports](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/sports)\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/business)\n- [Tech](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/technology)\n- [Science](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/science)\n- [Weather](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/weather)\n- [The Great Read](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/spotlight\/the-great-read)\n- [Obituaries](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/obituaries)\n- [Headway](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/headway)\n- [Visual Investigations](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/spotlight\/visual-investigations)\n- [The Magazine](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/magazine)\n\nArts\n\n- [Book Review](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/books\/review)\n- [Best Sellers Book List](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/books\/best-sellers\/)\n- [Dance](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/arts\/dance)\n- [Movies](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/movies)\n- [Music](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/arts\/music)\n- [Pop Culture](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/spotlight\/pop-culture)\n- [Television](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/arts\/television)\n- [Theater](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/theater)\n- [Visual Arts](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/arts\/design)\n\nLifestyle\n\n- [Health](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/health)\n- [Well](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/well)\n- [Food](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/food)\n- [Restaurant Reviews](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/reviews\/dining)\n- [Love](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/fashion\/weddings)\n- [Travel](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/travel)\n- [Style](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/style)\n- [Fashion](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/fashion)\n- [Real Estate](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/realestate)\n- [T Magazine](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/t-magazine)\n\nOpinion\n\n- [Today's Opinion](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/opinion)\n- [Columnists](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/opinion\/columnists)\n- [Editorials](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/opinion\/editorials)\n- [Guest Essays](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/opinion\/contributors)\n- [Op-Docs](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/column\/op-docs)\n- [Letters](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/opinion\/letters)\n- [Sunday Opinion](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/opinion\/sunday)\n- [Opinion Video](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/spotlight\/opinion-video)\n- [Opinion Audio](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/series\/opinion-audio)\n\nMore\n\n- [Audio](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/spotlight\/podcasts)\n- [Games](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/crosswords)\n- [Cooking](https:\/\/cooking.nytimes.com\/)\n- [Wirecutter](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/wirecutter\/)\n- [The Athletic](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/)\n- [Jobs](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/jobs)\n- [Video](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/video)\n- [Graphics](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/spotlight\/graphics)\n- [Trending](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/trending\/)\n- [Live Events](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/spotlight\/nyt-events)\n- [Corrections](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/corrections)\n- [Reader Center](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/reader-center)\n- [TimesMachine](https:\/\/timesmachine.nytimes.com\/browser)\n- [The Learning Network](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/learning)\n- [School of The NYT](https:\/\/nytedu.com\/)\n- [inEducation](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/spotlight\/nytimesineducation)\n\n### News\n- [Home Page](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/)\n- [U.S.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/us)\n- [World](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/world)\n- [Politics](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/politics)\n- [New York](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/nyregion)\n- [Education](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/education)\n- [Sports](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/sports)\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/business)\n- [Tech](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/technology)\n- [Science](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/science)\n- [Weather](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/weather)\n- [The Great Read](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/spotlight\/the-great-read)\n- [Obituaries](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/obituaries)\n- [Headway](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/headway)\n- [Visual Investigations](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/spotlight\/visual-investigations)\n- [The Magazine](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/magazine)\n\n### Arts\n- [Book Review](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/books\/review)\n- [Best Sellers Book List](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/books\/best-sellers\/)\n- [Dance](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/arts\/dance)\n- [Movies](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/movies)\n- [Music](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/arts\/music)\n- [Pop Culture](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/spotlight\/pop-culture)\n- [Television](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/arts\/television)\n- [Theater](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/theater)\n- [Visual Arts](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/arts\/design)\n\n### Lifestyle\n- [Health](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/health)\n- [Well](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/well)\n- [Food](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/food)\n- [Restaurant Reviews](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/reviews\/dining)\n- [Love](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/fashion\/weddings)\n- [Travel](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/travel)\n- [Style](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/style)\n- [Fashion](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/fashion)\n- [Real Estate](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/realestate)\n- [T Magazine](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/t-magazine)\n\n### Opinion\n- [Today's Opinion](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/opinion)\n- [Columnists](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/opinion\/columnists)\n- [Editorials](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/opinion\/editorials)\n- [Guest Essays](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/opinion\/contributors)\n- [Op-Docs](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/column\/op-docs)\n- [Letters](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/opinion\/letters)\n- [Sunday Opinion](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/opinion\/sunday)\n- [Opinion Video](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/spotlight\/opinion-video)\n- [Opinion Audio](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/series\/opinion-audio)\n\n### More\n- [Audio](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/spotlight\/podcasts)\n- [Games](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/crosswords)\n- [Cooking](https:\/\/cooking.nytimes.com\/)\n- [Wirecutter](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/wirecutter\/)\n- [The Athletic](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/)\n- [Jobs](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/jobs)\n- [Video](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/video)\n- [Graphics](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/spotlight\/graphics)\n- [Trending](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/trending\/)\n- [Live Events](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/spotlight\/nyt-events)\n- [Corrections](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/corrections)\n- [Reader Center](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/reader-center)\n- [TimesMachine](https:\/\/timesmachine.nytimes.com\/browser)\n- [The Learning Network](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/learning)\n- [School of The NYT](https:\/\/nytedu.com\/)\n- [inEducation](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/spotlight\/nytimesineducation)\n\n### Account\n- [Subscribe](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscription)\n- [Manage My Account](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/account)\n- [Home Delivery](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscription\/home-delivery)\n- [Gift Subscriptions](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/gift)\n\n- [Group Subscriptions](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscription\/groups?Pardot_Campaign_Code_Form_Input=89FQX)\n- [Gift Articles](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/gift-articles)\n- [Email Newsletters](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/newsletters)\n\n- [NYT Licensing](https:\/\/nytlicensing.com\/)\n- [Replica Edition](https:\/\/nytimes.pressreader.com\/)\n- [Times Store](https:\/\/store.nytimes.com\/)\n\n## Site Information Navigation\n- [© 2026 The New York Times Company](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/115014792127-Copyright-Notice)\n\n- [NYTCo](https:\/\/www.nytco.com\/)\n- [Contact Us](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/115015385887-Contact-The-New-York-Times)\n- [Accessibility](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/115015727108-Accessibility)\n- [Work with us](https:\/\/www.nytco.com\/careers\/)\n- [Advertise](https:\/\/advertising.nytimes.com\/)\n- [T Brand Studio](https:\/\/advertising.nytimes.com\/custom-content\/)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/10940941449492-The-New-York-Times-Company-Privacy-Policy)\n- [Cookie Policy](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/privacy\/cookie-policy)\n- [Terms of Service](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/115014893428-Terms-of-Service)\n- [Terms of Sale](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/115014893968-Terms-of-Sale)\n- [Site Map](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/sitemap\/)\n- [Canada](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/ca\/)\n- [International](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/international\/)\n- [Help](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us)\n- [Subscriptions](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscription?campaignId=37WXW)","attrs_readable_markdown":"Advertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/article\/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html#after-top)\n\nWhen used correctly, many rapid antigen tests are good at detecting people carrying high levels of the virus.\n\n![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2021\/12\/29\/science\/29sci-virus-testing-new\/merlin_199395150_c4b509e2-7caa-40dc-8ae0-674b63488092-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n\nRapid at-home Covid test kits being handed out in Chelsea, Mass., on Dec. 17.Credit...Joseph Prezioso\/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\n\nJan. 3, 2022\n\nIn the early months of the pandemic, getting a [coronavirus test](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/10\/06\/us\/politics\/biden-rapid-covid-tests.html) typically required visiting a health care center, a laboratory or a dedicated testing site, a process that sometimes involved long lines and waiting [a week or more](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/08\/04\/us\/virus-testing-delays.html) to get the results.\n\nAmericans [can now take rapid antigen tests](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/06\/29\/well\/covid-at-home-test.html) from the comfort of their own homes. Many of these tests are available without a prescription and return results in just 15 minutes.\n\nDemand for the tests has surged in recent months, as the highly infectious Delta variant has spread and schools and offices have reopened; now the [even more infectious Omicron variant has arrived](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/12\/16\/health\/coronavirus-omicron-variant.html). “All the manufacturers are ramping up production, but right now they can be hard to find,” said Gigi Gronvall, a testing expert at Johns Hopkins University.\n\nAlthough rapid antigen tests have their limitations, they are an important public health tool, experts said, particularly if you know how to use them.\n\n“Having that information and being able to make better decisions is very powerful,” said Mara Aspinall, an expert in biomedical diagnostics at Arizona State University who is also on the board of directors of OraSure, which makes [rapid Covid tests](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/11\/10\/health\/home-covid-test-kits.html). “And the ability to do this on a while-you-wait basis is something that we couldn’t do a year ago.”\n\n## What kinds of tests are available?\nA handful of [rapid antigen tests](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/11\/10\/health\/home-covid-test-kits.html) are available without a prescription, including the Abbott BinaxNOW, the [Ellume Covid-19 Home Test](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/11\/10\/health\/home-covid-test-kits.html) and the Quidel QuickVue At-Home Covid-19 Test. Prices start at about \\$7 per test, although President Biden has announced plans to reduce prices by roughly one-third.\n\nAll three detect small viral proteins, called antigens. The tests require rubbing a shallow nasal swab inside your nostrils and then exposing the swab to a few drops of chemicals. They provide results in about 15 minutes.\n\nThe tests themselves are fairly straightforward, but each one involves a slightly different procedure, which should be followed to the letter. “If you’re doing at-home tests, you must read the instructions and follow them meticulously,” said Dr. Patrick Godbey,a former president of the College of American Pathologists.\n\nMs. Aspinall concurred. “This is not the time for creativity,” she said.\n\nImage\n\n![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2021\/09\/29\/science\/29virus-testing2\/merlin_181286319_b6f1eca5-7699-46f6-9377-31b52111857d-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n\nA demonstration of the Ellume at-home test. Rapid antigen tests are a good option for people who have been exposed to the virus or who want to know whether their sore throat is Covid or just a cold.Credit...Ellume, via Associated Press\n\n## How accurate are rapid antigen tests?\nPolymerase chain reaction tests, which have typically been considered the gold standard for detecting the virus, are typically performed in a laboratory and involve making many copies of the virus’s genetic material. That process helps P.C.R. tests to detect even minute traces of the virus*.*\n\nRapid antigen tests, which do not amplify the virus, are less sensitive than P.C.R. tests. If you take one during the earliest phase of an infection, before the virus has replicated widely, the test could return a [false negative](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/10\/15\/world\/uk-lab-false-negative-tests.html).\n\nSome of the at-home rapid antigen testshave an overall sensitivity of roughly 85 percent, which means that they are catching roughly 85 percent of people who are infected with the virus and missing 15 percent. In some studies, their real-world performance [has been even lower](https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/mmwr\/volumes\/70\/wr\/mm7003e3.htm).\n\nBut the tests [are more sensitive](https:\/\/www.cochrane.org\/CD013705\/INFECTN_how-accurate-are-rapid-tests-diagnosing-covid-19) in people with symptoms than without and are most sensitive during the first week of symptoms, studies have found.\n\nAnd antigen tests are excellent at flagging people who have high viral loads — and who are thus most likely to be actively transmitting the virus to others, experts said.\n\n“The more virus you have in your nose, the more virus you’re breathing out into the air, and the more virus other people can then breathe in,” Dr. Gronvall said. “The tests are very accurate, and correlate very well with P.C.R., when people are most infectious.”\n\nUsing the tests repeatedly — to routinely screen students for the virus, for instance — [can compensate for](https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.abd5393) their lower sensitivity. In [one recent study](https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/jid\/article\/224\/6\/976\/6311835), researchers found that when they tested infected college students and employees every three days, rapid antigen tests successfully identified 98 percent of infections, on par with P.C.R. tests.\n\nImage\n\n![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2021\/10\/05\/science\/29virus-testing1\/merlin_177156999_75f26c8f-9456-4ceb-a9dc-d7f7cca99b4a-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n\nAbbott Labs’s BinaxNOW rapid antigen test.Credit...Abbott Labs, via Reuters\n\n## When and how should I use them?\nRapid at-home antigen tests are a good option for people who have been exposed to the virus, who want to know whether a sore throat is Covid-19 or just a cold, or who want a little bit of extra assurance before visiting a vulnerable relative or after traveling to a virus hot spot, experts said.\n\nPeople with symptoms can take a rapid antigen test immediately, experts said, but those who have had a known exposure to the virus should wait three to five days before doing so. Testing too soon, before the virus has had a chance to replicate, increases the odds of a [false negative](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/10\/15\/world\/uk-lab-false-negative-tests.html).\n\n“And that is a critical, critical piece,” Ms. Aspinall said. “There are a lot of people taking a plane, getting off the plane and saying, ‘I’m negative — I can go visit Grandma.’”\n\nSome businesses, travel authorities and other organizations may not accept the results of at-home tests when proof of a negative test result is required, however.\n\n## I tested negative. Now what?\nRapid antigen tests work best when they are used serially. If you test negative after a possible or known exposure to the virus,or after developing symptoms of Covid-19, you should take a second test a day or two later, experts said.\n\n“Tests are a moment in time,” Dr. Gronvall said. “You don’t know the day or the hour” that the virus “breached your immune defenses and took up residence.”\n\nBut until the tests are cheaper and more readily available, it may be difficult to persuade people to use them frequently, she noted. “We definitely need more tests on the market, and we need them to be lower cost,” Dr. Gronvall said.\n\n## I tested positive. Now what?\nRapid antigen tests are highly specific, which means that they generate relatively few false positives. However, a positive result is more likely to be a false positive when the prevalence of the virus is low; in these instances, people may want to take a second test. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [recommends lab-based molecular tests](https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/lab\/resources\/antigen-tests-guidelines.html#anchor_1631295313910), like a P.C.R. test, for confirmatory testing.)\n\nBut experts recommended not waiting for the results of a second test to begin taking precautions. If you test positive, you should isolate yourself, monitor your symptoms and seek medical care if necessary.\n\nConsumers should also report positive results to their local health authorities.\n\n“If we don’t report tests accurately, we still won’t have a good idea of the actual caseload — how many people are running around that might be contagious, that might be passing this along to other folks,” Dr. Godbey said.\n\n[Emily Anthes](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/emily-anthes) is a reporter for The New York Times, where she focuses on science and health and covers topics like the coronavirus pandemic, vaccinations, virus testing and Covid in children.\n\nA version of this article appears in print on Oct. 5, 2021, Section D, Page 4 of the New York edition with the headline: At-Home Covid Tests: Valuable, if Used Right. [Order Reprints](https:\/\/nytimes.wrightsmedia.com\/) \\| [Today’s Paper](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/todayspaper) \\| [Subscribe](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscriptions\/Multiproduct\/lp8HYKU.html?campaignId=48JQY)\n\n## Related Content\n[Coronavirus in New York](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/news-event\/coronavirus-new-york)\n\nTracking all the latest news and updates on the coronavirus in the New York region.\n\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/12\/16\/multimedia\/16nytoday-vmth\/16nytoday-vmth-thumbLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Yehyun Kim for The New York Times\n- ![Sandy Lachhman and Shaun Parmassar in front of their home, purchased in 2022 right before interest rates went up.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/11\/16\/multimedia\/16biz-stuck-homeowners-01-qgph\/16biz-stuck-homeowners-01-qgph-thumbLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Janice Chung for The New York Times\n- Amir Hamja for The New York Times\n\n[More in Health](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/health)\n\n- ![Derrick Wynne was discharged from the Army for refusing a Covid shot. “He was using our movement to gain a huge amount of traction,” he said of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/12\/05\/multimedia\/00hs-antivax-pqbj\/00hs-antivax-pqbj-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Callaghan O'Hare for The New York Times\n- ![Uptake of the vaccine has been slow, like at this public health fair at The University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Greenville, S.C.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/03\/multimedia\/03nat-measles-southcarolina-01-kcqv\/03nat-measles-southcarolina-01-kcqv-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Kaoly Gutierrez for The New York Times\n- ![Beate Uhse in 1971, in front of her mail-order company headquarters in Flensburg, Germany.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/06\/obituaries\/06whm-uhse-obit\/06whm-uhse-obit-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Hesslefors\/ullstein bild, via Getty Images\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/03\/science\/03sci-SPAN-financial-predators\/03sci-SPAN-financial-predators-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Federica Bordoni\n\nEditors’ Picks\n\n- ![On certain Boeing 737 and Airbus A321 jets, row 11 offers a seat sold as a window view that shows, instead, a wall. The discovery tends to arrive after boarding.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/26\/multimedia\/00xp-Seat11A-cvmj\/00xp-Seat11A-cvmj-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Shutterstock\n- ![A TikTok debate erupted after a bride said she was banning the slicked-back bun from her bridesmaids’ hairstyles.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/08\/multimedia\/08ST-SBB-WEDDINGS-bmhg\/08ST-SBB-WEDDINGS-bmhg-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Getty Images\n\nTrending in The Times\n\n- ![Kristi Noem testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, where her comments led the president to fire her later in the week.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/06\/multimedia\/06dc-trump-noem-gmpc\/06dc-trump-noem-gmpc-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Tierney L. Cross\/The New York Times\n- ![“We are still very open in Paris,” said Nicolas Fournery, a gallerist who is showing at TEFAF for the second year. “When you compare with the United States and other countries, they are closing, but we are not in the same mood in France.”](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/06\/multimedia\/06sp-tefaf-paris-inyt-03-bwpm\/06sp-tefaf-paris-inyt-03-bwpm-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/06\/well\/06WELL-TREADMILL-TREND2\/06WELL-TREADMILL-TREND2-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Getty Images\n- ![The original Oat Mafia members: from left, Kevin Connelly, Martin Larsen and Tom Pyfferoen. They remember growing oats when they were younger for animal feed. Now they are growing it for people.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/27\/multimedia\/00nat-oat-mafia-01-hmcz\/00nat-oat-mafia-01-hmcz-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Tim Gruber for The New York Times\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/07\/opinion\/07calabresi-hennigan-image\/07calabresi-hennigan-image-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Illustration by Sam Whitney\/The New York Times\n- ![Flushing, Queens is home to a bustling enclave of Asian Americans.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/06\/multimedia\/06re-queenscasino-ctlk\/06re-queenscasino-ctlk-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Graham Dickie for The New York Times\n- ![Ashton James in “Youngblood.”](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/06\/multimedia\/05cul-youngblood-review-gfqk\/05cul-youngblood-review-gfqk-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Well Go USA\n- ![The casket of the Rev. Jesse Jackson arrived at the House of Hope for a service in Chicago on Friday morning.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/06\/multimedia\/06nat-jackson-funeral-am-gwzh\/06nat-jackson-funeral-am-gwzh-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times\n- ![The lone set of stairs in the Fremont View apartment building in Seattle. With just one staircase, the eight-story multifamily building, which opened in 2024, could be built on a smaller lot.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/18\/multimedia\/00biz-square-feet-single-staircases-01-gzkl\/00biz-square-feet-single-staircases-01-gzkl-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Grant Hindsley for The New York Times\n- ![“Living takes work,” Anjimile said. “Sometimes, it’s really hard but I feel like I have a base line now of ‘I’m going to be OK.’”](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/05\/multimedia\/04cul-anjimile-01-qzvh\/04cul-anjimile-01-qzvh-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Sebastian Siadecki for The New York Times\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/article\/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html#after-bottom)","meta_canonical":null}

3. Robots.txt Check

Query:

Response:

4. Spam/Ban Check

Query:

Response:

5. Seen Status Check

ℹ️ Skipped - page is already crawled

📄

INDEXABLE

✅

CRAWLED

1 month ago

🤖

ROBOTS ALLOWED

Page Info Filters

Filter	Status	Condition	Details
HTTP status	PASS	`download_http_code = 200`	HTTP 200
Age cutoff	PASS	`download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH`	1.4 months ago
History drop	PASS	`isNull(history_drop_reason)`	No drop reason
Spam/ban	PASS	`fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0`	ml_spam_score=0
Canonical	PASS	`meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed`	Not set

Page Details

Property	Value
URL	https://www.nytimes.com/article/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html
Last Crawled	2026-03-08 00:58:48 (1 month ago)
First Indexed	2021-12-17 22:36:22 (4 years ago)
HTTP Status Code	200
Meta Title	How Accurate Are At-Home Covid Tests? Here’s a Quick Guide - The New York Times
Meta Description	When used correctly, many rapid antigen tests are good at detecting people carrying high levels of the virus.
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT When used correctly, many rapid antigen tests are good at detecting people carrying high levels of the virus. Rapid at-home Covid test kits being handed out in Chelsea, Mass., on Dec. 17. Credit... Joseph Prezioso/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Jan. 3, 2022 In the early months of the pandemic, getting a coronavirus test typically required visiting a health care center, a laboratory or a dedicated testing site, a process that sometimes involved long lines and waiting a week or more to get the results. Americans can now take rapid antigen tests from the comfort of their own homes. Many of these tests are available without a prescription and return results in just 15 minutes. Demand for the tests has surged in recent months, as the highly infectious Delta variant has spread and schools and offices have reopened; now the even more infectious Omicron variant has arrived . “All the manufacturers are ramping up production, but right now they can be hard to find,” said Gigi Gronvall, a testing expert at Johns Hopkins University. Although rapid antigen tests have their limitations, they are an important public health tool, experts said, particularly if you know how to use them. “Having that information and being able to make better decisions is very powerful,” said Mara Aspinall, an expert in biomedical diagnostics at Arizona State University who is also on the board of directors of OraSure, which makes rapid Covid tests . “And the ability to do this on a while-you-wait basis is something that we couldn’t do a year ago.” What kinds of tests are available? A handful of rapid antigen tests are available without a prescription, including the Abbott BinaxNOW, the Ellume Covid-19 Home Test and the Quidel QuickVue At-Home Covid-19 Test. Prices start at about $7 per test, although President Biden has announced plans to reduce prices by roughly one-third. All three detect small viral proteins, called antigens. The tests require rubbing a shallow nasal swab inside your nostrils and then exposing the swab to a few drops of chemicals. They provide results in about 15 minutes. The tests themselves are fairly straightforward, but each one involves a slightly different procedure, which should be followed to the letter. “If you’re doing at-home tests, you must read the instructions and follow them meticulously,” said Dr. Patrick Godbey, a former president of the College of American Pathologists. Ms. Aspinall concurred. “This is not the time for creativity,” she said. Image A demonstration of the Ellume at-home test. Rapid antigen tests are a good option for people who have been exposed to the virus or who want to know whether their sore throat is Covid or just a cold. Credit... Ellume, via Associated Press How accurate are rapid antigen tests? Polymerase chain reaction tests, which have typically been considered the gold standard for detecting the virus, are typically performed in a laboratory and involve making many copies of the virus’s genetic material. That process helps P.C.R. tests to detect even minute traces of the virus . Rapid antigen tests, which do not amplify the virus, are less sensitive than P.C.R. tests. If you take one during the earliest phase of an infection, before the virus has replicated widely, the test could return a false negative . Some of the at-home rapid antigen tests have an overall sensitivity of roughly 85 percent, which means that they are catching roughly 85 percent of people who are infected with the virus and missing 15 percent. In some studies, their real-world performance has been even lower . But the tests are more sensitive in people with symptoms than without and are most sensitive during the first week of symptoms, studies have found. And antigen tests are excellent at flagging people who have high viral loads — and who are thus most likely to be actively transmitting the virus to others, experts said. “The more virus you have in your nose, the more virus you’re breathing out into the air, and the more virus other people can then breathe in,” Dr. Gronvall said. “The tests are very accurate, and correlate very well with P.C.R., when people are most infectious.” Using the tests repeatedly — to routinely screen students for the virus, for instance — can compensate for their lower sensitivity. In one recent study , researchers found that when they tested infected college students and employees every three days, rapid antigen tests successfully identified 98 percent of infections, on par with P.C.R. tests. Image Abbott Labs’s BinaxNOW rapid antigen test. Credit... Abbott Labs, via Reuters When and how should I use them? Rapid at-home antigen tests are a good option for people who have been exposed to the virus, who want to know whether a sore throat is Covid-19 or just a cold, or who want a little bit of extra assurance before visiting a vulnerable relative or after traveling to a virus hot spot, experts said. People with symptoms can take a rapid antigen test immediately, experts said, but those who have had a known exposure to the virus should wait three to five days before doing so. Testing too soon, before the virus has had a chance to replicate, increases the odds of a false negative . “And that is a critical, critical piece,” Ms. Aspinall said. “There are a lot of people taking a plane, getting off the plane and saying, ‘I’m negative — I can go visit Grandma.’” Some businesses, travel authorities and other organizations may not accept the results of at-home tests when proof of a negative test result is required, however. I tested negative. Now what? Rapid antigen tests work best when they are used serially. If you test negative after a possible or known exposure to the virus, or after developing symptoms of Covid-19, you should take a second test a day or two later, experts said. “Tests are a moment in time,” Dr. Gronvall said. “You don’t know the day or the hour” that the virus “breached your immune defenses and took up residence.” But until the tests are cheaper and more readily available, it may be difficult to persuade people to use them frequently, she noted. “We definitely need more tests on the market, and we need them to be lower cost,” Dr. Gronvall said. I tested positive. Now what? Rapid antigen tests are highly specific, which means that they generate relatively few false positives. However, a positive result is more likely to be a false positive when the prevalence of the virus is low; in these instances, people may want to take a second test. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends lab-based molecular tests , like a P.C.R. test, for confirmatory testing.) But experts recommended not waiting for the results of a second test to begin taking precautions. If you test positive, you should isolate yourself, monitor your symptoms and seek medical care if necessary. Consumers should also report positive results to their local health authorities. “If we don’t report tests accurately, we still won’t have a good idea of the actual caseload — how many people are running around that might be contagious, that might be passing this along to other folks,” Dr. Godbey said. Emily Anthes is a reporter for The New York Times, where she focuses on science and health and covers topics like the coronavirus pandemic, vaccinations, virus testing and Covid in children. A version of this article appears in print on Oct. 5, 2021 , Section D, Page 4 of the New York edition with the headline: At-Home Covid Tests: Valuable, if Used Right . Order Reprints \| Today’s Paper \| Subscribe Related Content Coronavirus in New York Tracking all the latest news and updates on the coronavirus in the New York region. Yehyun Kim for The New York Times Janice Chung for The New York Times Amir Hamja for The New York Times More in Health Callaghan O'Hare for The New York Times Kaoly Gutierrez for The New York Times Hesslefors/ullstein bild, via Getty Images Federica Bordoni Editors’ Picks Shutterstock Getty Images Trending in The Times Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times Getty Images Tim Gruber for The New York Times Illustration by Sam Whitney/The New York Times Graham Dickie for The New York Times Well Go USA Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times Grant Hindsley for The New York Times Sebastian Siadecki for The New York Times Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
Markdown	[Skip to content](https://www.nytimes.com/article/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html#site-content)[Skip to site index](https://www.nytimes.com/article/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html#site-index) Search & Section Navigation Section Navigation Search [Health](https://www.nytimes.com/section/health) [Log in](https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fsubscription%2Fonboarding-offer%3FcampaignId%3D7JFJX%26EXIT_URI%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.nytimes.com%252Farticle%252Fat-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html&asset=masthead) Saturday, March 7, 2026 [Today’s Paper](https://www.nytimes.com/section/todayspaper) [Health](https://www.nytimes.com/section/health)\\|How Accurate Are At-Home Covid Tests? Here’s a Quick Guide https://www.nytimes.com/article/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html - Share full article Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/article/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html#after-top) Supported by [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/article/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html#after-sponsor) # How Accurate Are At-Home Covid Tests? Here’s a Quick Guide When used correctly, many rapid antigen tests are good at detecting people carrying high levels of the virus. - Share full article ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/12/29/science/29sci-virus-testing-new/merlin_199395150_c4b509e2-7caa-40dc-8ae0-674b63488092-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Rapid at-home Covid test kits being handed out in Chelsea, Mass., on Dec. 17.Credit...Joseph Prezioso/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images By [Emily Anthes](https://www.nytimes.com/by/emily-anthes) Jan. 3, 2022 In the early months of the pandemic, getting a [coronavirus test](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/06/us/politics/biden-rapid-covid-tests.html) typically required visiting a health care center, a laboratory or a dedicated testing site, a process that sometimes involved long lines and waiting [a week or more](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/04/us/virus-testing-delays.html) to get the results. Americans [can now take rapid antigen tests](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/29/well/covid-at-home-test.html) from the comfort of their own homes. Many of these tests are available without a prescription and return results in just 15 minutes. Demand for the tests has surged in recent months, as the highly infectious Delta variant has spread and schools and offices have reopened; now the [even more infectious Omicron variant has arrived](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/16/health/coronavirus-omicron-variant.html). “All the manufacturers are ramping up production, but right now they can be hard to find,” said Gigi Gronvall, a testing expert at Johns Hopkins University. Although rapid antigen tests have their limitations, they are an important public health tool, experts said, particularly if you know how to use them. “Having that information and being able to make better decisions is very powerful,” said Mara Aspinall, an expert in biomedical diagnostics at Arizona State University who is also on the board of directors of OraSure, which makes [rapid Covid tests](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/10/health/home-covid-test-kits.html). “And the ability to do this on a while-you-wait basis is something that we couldn’t do a year ago.” ## What kinds of tests are available? A handful of [rapid antigen tests](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/10/health/home-covid-test-kits.html) are available without a prescription, including the Abbott BinaxNOW, the [Ellume Covid-19 Home Test](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/10/health/home-covid-test-kits.html) and the Quidel QuickVue At-Home Covid-19 Test. Prices start at about \$7 per test, although President Biden has announced plans to reduce prices by roughly one-third. All three detect small viral proteins, called antigens. The tests require rubbing a shallow nasal swab inside your nostrils and then exposing the swab to a few drops of chemicals. They provide results in about 15 minutes. ## More on the Virus - Is It Cold, Flu or Covid?: With similar symptoms, it can be difficult to tell which illness is which. [Here’s what to know](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/well/cold-flu-covid-symptoms.html). - Heart Problems: One study found that a Covid infection [doubled the risk of a major cardiovascular event for up to three years afterward](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/22/well/covid-heart-health.html). And the risk of a heart attack [triples within the first few weeks](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/well/viral-infections-covid-flu-heart-attacks.html) after an infection, another suggested. - Long Covid in Children: People under 21 [are](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/30/health/long-covid-children.html) [twice as likely to develop long-term health consequences](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/30/health/long-covid-children.html) after a second coronavirus infection, a large study found. - Covid Shots: The F.D.A. [approved updated Covid vaccines](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/health/fda-covid-vaccines-rfk-jr.html) and limited who can get the shots. Children [under 12 need different versions of the vaccines](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/well/covid-vaccine-children-parents-issues-rfk-jr.html), but many pharmacies and pediatricians’ offices aren’t stocking them. [Here's what to know](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/well/covid-vaccines-guidelines-fall-2025.html). - Gut Issues: Why does Covid cause [diarrhea, constipation, pain and bloating? Here are some suggestions for](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/12/well/eat/covid-symptoms-diarrhea-constipation-pain-bloating.html) what to do about these conditions. The tests themselves are fairly straightforward, but each one involves a slightly different procedure, which should be followed to the letter. “If you’re doing at-home tests, you must read the instructions and follow them meticulously,” said Dr. Patrick Godbey,a former president of the College of American Pathologists. ## Editors’ Picks [![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/06/well/06WELL-TREADMILL-TREND2/06WELL-TREADMILL-TREND2-thumbLarge.jpg)Is This Treadmill Walking Trend Good for Your Fitness?](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/06/well/move/12-3-30-treadmill-workout-trend.html) [![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/07/multimedia/06cul-kid-harpoon-02-zwpk/06cul-kid-harpoon-02-zwpk-thumbLarge.jpg)Meet Kid Harpoon, the Architect of Harry Styles’s Sound](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/06/arts/music/kid-harpoon-harry-styles.html) [![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/05/magazine/screenland-animalai-04/screenland-animalai-04-thumbLarge.jpg)Are A.I.-Generated Videos Changing How We See Animals?](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/magazine/ai-generated-videos-animals.html) Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/article/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html#after-pp_edpick) Ms. Aspinall concurred. “This is not the time for creativity,” she said. Image ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/09/29/science/29virus-testing2/merlin_181286319_b6f1eca5-7699-46f6-9377-31b52111857d-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) A demonstration of the Ellume at-home test. Rapid antigen tests are a good option for people who have been exposed to the virus or who want to know whether their sore throat is Covid or just a cold.Credit...Ellume, via Associated Press ## How accurate are rapid antigen tests? Polymerase chain reaction tests, which have typically been considered the gold standard for detecting the virus, are typically performed in a laboratory and involve making many copies of the virus’s genetic material. That process helps P.C.R. tests to detect even minute traces of the virus. Rapid antigen tests, which do not amplify the virus, are less sensitive than P.C.R. tests. If you take one during the earliest phase of an infection, before the virus has replicated widely, the test could return a [false negative](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/15/world/uk-lab-false-negative-tests.html). Some of the at-home rapid antigen testshave an overall sensitivity of roughly 85 percent, which means that they are catching roughly 85 percent of people who are infected with the virus and missing 15 percent. In some studies, their real-world performance [has been even lower](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7003e3.htm). But the tests [are more sensitive](https://www.cochrane.org/CD013705/INFECTN_how-accurate-are-rapid-tests-diagnosing-covid-19) in people with symptoms than without and are most sensitive during the first week of symptoms, studies have found. And antigen tests are excellent at flagging people who have high viral loads — and who are thus most likely to be actively transmitting the virus to others, experts said. “The more virus you have in your nose, the more virus you’re breathing out into the air, and the more virus other people can then breathe in,” Dr. Gronvall said. “The tests are very accurate, and correlate very well with P.C.R., when people are most infectious.” Using the tests repeatedly — to routinely screen students for the virus, for instance — [can compensate for](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abd5393) their lower sensitivity. In [one recent study](https://academic.oup.com/jid/article/224/6/976/6311835), researchers found that when they tested infected college students and employees every three days, rapid antigen tests successfully identified 98 percent of infections, on par with P.C.R. tests. Image ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/10/05/science/29virus-testing1/merlin_177156999_75f26c8f-9456-4ceb-a9dc-d7f7cca99b4a-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Abbott Labs’s BinaxNOW rapid antigen test.Credit...Abbott Labs, via Reuters ## When and how should I use them? Rapid at-home antigen tests are a good option for people who have been exposed to the virus, who want to know whether a sore throat is Covid-19 or just a cold, or who want a little bit of extra assurance before visiting a vulnerable relative or after traveling to a virus hot spot, experts said. People with symptoms can take a rapid antigen test immediately, experts said, but those who have had a known exposure to the virus should wait three to five days before doing so. Testing too soon, before the virus has had a chance to replicate, increases the odds of a [false negative](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/15/world/uk-lab-false-negative-tests.html). “And that is a critical, critical piece,” Ms. Aspinall said. “There are a lot of people taking a plane, getting off the plane and saying, ‘I’m negative — I can go visit Grandma.’” Some businesses, travel authorities and other organizations may not accept the results of at-home tests when proof of a negative test result is required, however. ## I tested negative. Now what? Rapid antigen tests work best when they are used serially. If you test negative after a possible or known exposure to the virus,or after developing symptoms of Covid-19, you should take a second test a day or two later, experts said. “Tests are a moment in time,” Dr. Gronvall said. “You don’t know the day or the hour” that the virus “breached your immune defenses and took up residence.” But until the tests are cheaper and more readily available, it may be difficult to persuade people to use them frequently, she noted. “We definitely need more tests on the market, and we need them to be lower cost,” Dr. Gronvall said. ## I tested positive. Now what? Rapid antigen tests are highly specific, which means that they generate relatively few false positives. However, a positive result is more likely to be a false positive when the prevalence of the virus is low; in these instances, people may want to take a second test. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [recommends lab-based molecular tests](https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/lab/resources/antigen-tests-guidelines.html#anchor_1631295313910), like a P.C.R. test, for confirmatory testing.) But experts recommended not waiting for the results of a second test to begin taking precautions. If you test positive, you should isolate yourself, monitor your symptoms and seek medical care if necessary. Consumers should also report positive results to their local health authorities. “If we don’t report tests accurately, we still won’t have a good idea of the actual caseload — how many people are running around that might be contagious, that might be passing this along to other folks,” Dr. Godbey said. [Emily Anthes](https://www.nytimes.com/by/emily-anthes) is a reporter for The New York Times, where she focuses on science and health and covers topics like the coronavirus pandemic, vaccinations, virus testing and Covid in children. A version of this article appears in print on Oct. 5, 2021, Section D, Page 4 of the New York edition with the headline: At-Home Covid Tests: Valuable, if Used Right. [Order Reprints](https://nytimes.wrightsmedia.com/) \\| [Today’s Paper](https://www.nytimes.com/section/todayspaper) \\| [Subscribe](https://www.nytimes.com/subscriptions/Multiproduct/lp8HYKU.html?campaignId=48JQY) - Share full article ## Related Content ### [Coronavirus in New York](https://www.nytimes.com/news-event/coronavirus-new-york) Tracking all the latest news and updates on the coronavirus in the New York region. - [Subways Are for Shopping? A Tough Sell for New Yorkers.](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/nyregion/turnstyle-mall-columbus-circle.html) ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2025/12/16/multimedia/16nytoday-vmth/16nytoday-vmth-thumbLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Yehyun Kim for The New York Times - [They Rushed to Buy Homes During the Pandemic. Now, Some Feel Trapped.](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/business/homeowners-moving-mortgage-rates.html) ![Sandy Lachhman and Shaun Parmassar in front of their home, purchased in 2022 right before interest rates went up.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2025/11/16/multimedia/16biz-stuck-homeowners-01-qgph/16biz-stuck-homeowners-01-qgph-thumbLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Janice Chung for The New York Times - [Mamdani was elected with a thinner résumé than his predecessors as mayor.](https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11/04/nyregion/nyc-mayor-election/mamdani-was-elected-with-a-thinner-resume-than-his-predecessors-as-mayor) Amir Hamja for The New York Times ### [More in Health](https://www.nytimes.com/section/health) - [As Kennedy Turns From Vaccines, MAHA Allies See a ‘Betrayal’](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/health/kennedy-maha-vaccines.html) ![Derrick Wynne was discharged from the Army for refusing a Covid shot. “He was using our movement to gain a huge amount of traction,” he said of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2025/12/05/multimedia/00hs-antivax-pqbj/00hs-antivax-pqbj-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Callaghan O'Hare for The New York Times - [Parents Tried to Shield Their Children From Vaccines. Instead They Got Measles.](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/03/us/politics/south-carolina-measles-outbreak-vaccines.html) ![Uptake of the vaccine has been slow, like at this public health fair at The University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Greenville, S.C.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/03/multimedia/03nat-measles-southcarolina-01-kcqv/03nat-measles-southcarolina-01-kcqv-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Kaoly Gutierrez for The New York Times - [From 2001: Beate Uhse, 81, Entrepreneur in the Business of Erotic Goods](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/06/world/europe/beate-uhse-dead.html) ![Beate Uhse in 1971, in front of her mail-order company headquarters in Flensburg, Germany.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/06/obituaries/06whm-uhse-obit/06whm-uhse-obit-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Hesslefors/ullstein bild, via Getty Images - [Banks Are Becoming Bulwarks for Vulnerable Seniors](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/28/health/scams-elderly-banks.html) ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/03/science/03sci-SPAN-financial-predators/03sci-SPAN-financial-predators-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Federica Bordoni ### Editors’ Picks - [Seat 11A: The Windowless Inside Joke at 30,000 Feet](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/us/seat-11a-no-window-ryanair-airlines.html) ![On certain Boeing 737 and Airbus A321 jets, row 11 offers a seat sold as a window view that shows, instead, a wall. The discovery tends to arrive after boarding.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/26/multimedia/00xp-Seat11A-cvmj/00xp-Seat11A-cvmj-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Shutterstock - [Can a Bride Ban a Hairstyle?](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/06/style/wedding-planning-bridesmaid-hair-rules.html) ![A TikTok debate erupted after a bride said she was banning the slicked-back bun from her bridesmaids’ hairstyles.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/08/multimedia/08ST-SBB-WEDDINGS-bmhg/08ST-SBB-WEDDINGS-bmhg-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Getty Images ### Trending in The Times - [Kristi Noem Survived Many Crises. Then She Crossed a Trump Red Line.](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/06/us/politics/trump-noem.html) ![Kristi Noem testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, where her comments led the president to fire her later in the week.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/06/multimedia/06dc-trump-noem-gmpc/06dc-trump-noem-gmpc-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times - [With the World in Transition, Paris Again Emerges as a Mecca for the Arts](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/arts/design/tefaf-maastricht-france.html) ![“We are still very open in Paris,” said Nicolas Fournery, a gallerist who is showing at TEFAF for the second year. “When you compare with the United States and other countries, they are closing, but we are not in the same mood in France.”](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/06/multimedia/06sp-tefaf-paris-inyt-03-bwpm/06sp-tefaf-paris-inyt-03-bwpm-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times - [Is This Treadmill Walking Trend Good for Your Fitness?](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/06/well/move/12-3-30-treadmill-workout-trend.html) ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/06/well/06WELL-TREADMILL-TREND2/06WELL-TREADMILL-TREND2-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Getty Images - [Where Corn and Soybeans Rule, the ‘Oat Mafia’ Fights for Turf](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/06/us/oat-farmers-midwest.html) ![The original Oat Mafia members: from left, Kevin Connelly, Martin Larsen and Tom Pyfferoen. They remember growing oats when they were younger for animal feed. Now they are growing it for people.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/27/multimedia/00nat-oat-mafia-01-hmcz/00nat-oat-mafia-01-hmcz-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Tim Gruber for The New York Times - [Opinion: There Is One Crucial Reason We’re Talking About Boots on the Ground](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/opinion/trump-iran-nuclear-weapons-enriched-uranium-war.html) ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/07/opinion/07calabresi-hennigan-image/07calabresi-hennigan-image-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Illustration by Sam Whitney/The New York Times - [A New Casino Is Coming to Queens, With High Stakes for the Neighbors](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/06/realestate/flushing-meadows-corona-park-casino-development-concerns.html) ![Flushing, Queens is home to a bustling enclave of Asian Americans.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/06/multimedia/06re-queenscasino-ctlk/06re-queenscasino-ctlk-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Graham Dickie for The New York Times - [‘Youngblood’ Review: He’s Got a Reason to Be Chippy](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/movies/youngblood-review.html) ![Ashton James in “Youngblood.”](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/06/multimedia/05cul-youngblood-review-gfqk/05cul-youngblood-review-gfqk-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Well Go USA - [Former Presidents Speak at Jesse Jackson’s Memorial](https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/politics/100000010759061/jesse-jackson-memorial-us-presidents.html) ![The casket of the Rev. Jesse Jackson arrived at the House of Hope for a service in Chicago on Friday morning.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/06/multimedia/06nat-jackson-funeral-am-gwzh/06nat-jackson-funeral-am-gwzh-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times - [To Cut Housing Costs, Some States Are Easing Fire Safety Rules](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/business/single-staircase-apartment-buildings.html) ![The lone set of stairs in the Fremont View apartment building in Seattle. With just one staircase, the eight-story multifamily building, which opened in 2024, could be built on a smaller lot.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/18/multimedia/00biz-square-feet-single-staircases-01-gzkl/00biz-square-feet-single-staircases-01-gzkl-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Grant Hindsley for The New York Times - [Anjimile’s Stark Folk Left Fans ‘Mesmerized.’ He’s Ready for Rebirth.](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/arts/music/anjimile-youre-free-to-go.html) ![“Living takes work,” Anjimile said. “Sometimes, it’s really hard but I feel like I have a base line now of ‘I’m going to be OK.’”](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/05/multimedia/04cul-anjimile-01-qzvh/04cul-anjimile-01-qzvh-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Sebastian Siadecki for The New York Times Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/article/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html#after-bottom) ## Site Index [Go to Home Page »](https://www.nytimes.com/) News - [Home Page](https://www.nytimes.com/) - [U.S.](https://www.nytimes.com/section/us) - [World](https://www.nytimes.com/section/world) - [Politics](https://www.nytimes.com/section/politics) - [New York](https://www.nytimes.com/section/nyregion) - [Education](https://www.nytimes.com/section/education) - [Sports](https://www.nytimes.com/section/sports) - [Business](https://www.nytimes.com/section/business) - [Tech](https://www.nytimes.com/section/technology) - [Science](https://www.nytimes.com/section/science) - [Weather](https://www.nytimes.com/section/weather) - [The Great Read](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/the-great-read) - [Obituaries](https://www.nytimes.com/section/obituaries) - [Headway](https://www.nytimes.com/section/headway) - [Visual Investigations](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/visual-investigations) - [The Magazine](https://www.nytimes.com/section/magazine) Arts - [Book Review](https://www.nytimes.com/section/books/review) - [Best Sellers Book List](https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/) - [Dance](https://www.nytimes.com/section/arts/dance) - [Movies](https://www.nytimes.com/section/movies) - [Music](https://www.nytimes.com/section/arts/music) - [Pop Culture](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/pop-culture) - [Television](https://www.nytimes.com/section/arts/television) - [Theater](https://www.nytimes.com/section/theater) - [Visual Arts](https://www.nytimes.com/section/arts/design) Lifestyle - [Health](https://www.nytimes.com/section/health) - [Well](https://www.nytimes.com/section/well) - [Food](https://www.nytimes.com/section/food) - [Restaurant Reviews](https://www.nytimes.com/reviews/dining) - [Love](https://www.nytimes.com/section/fashion/weddings) - [Travel](https://www.nytimes.com/section/travel) - [Style](https://www.nytimes.com/section/style) - [Fashion](https://www.nytimes.com/section/fashion) - [Real Estate](https://www.nytimes.com/section/realestate) - [T Magazine](https://www.nytimes.com/section/t-magazine) Opinion - [Today's Opinion](https://www.nytimes.com/section/opinion) - [Columnists](https://www.nytimes.com/section/opinion/columnists) - [Editorials](https://www.nytimes.com/section/opinion/editorials) - [Guest Essays](https://www.nytimes.com/section/opinion/contributors) - [Op-Docs](https://www.nytimes.com/column/op-docs) - [Letters](https://www.nytimes.com/section/opinion/letters) - [Sunday Opinion](https://www.nytimes.com/section/opinion/sunday) - [Opinion Video](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/opinion-video) - [Opinion Audio](https://www.nytimes.com/series/opinion-audio) More - [Audio](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/podcasts) - [Games](https://www.nytimes.com/crosswords) - [Cooking](https://cooking.nytimes.com/) - [Wirecutter](https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/) - [The Athletic](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/) - [Jobs](https://www.nytimes.com/section/jobs) - [Video](https://www.nytimes.com/video) - [Graphics](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/graphics) - [Trending](https://www.nytimes.com/trending/) - [Live Events](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/nyt-events) - [Corrections](https://www.nytimes.com/section/corrections) - [Reader Center](https://www.nytimes.com/section/reader-center) - [TimesMachine](https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/browser) - [The Learning Network](https://www.nytimes.com/section/learning) - [School of The NYT](https://nytedu.com/) - [inEducation](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/nytimesineducation) ### News - [Home Page](https://www.nytimes.com/) - [U.S.](https://www.nytimes.com/section/us) - [World](https://www.nytimes.com/section/world) - [Politics](https://www.nytimes.com/section/politics) - [New York](https://www.nytimes.com/section/nyregion) - [Education](https://www.nytimes.com/section/education) - [Sports](https://www.nytimes.com/section/sports) - [Business](https://www.nytimes.com/section/business) - [Tech](https://www.nytimes.com/section/technology) - [Science](https://www.nytimes.com/section/science) - [Weather](https://www.nytimes.com/section/weather) - [The Great Read](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/the-great-read) - [Obituaries](https://www.nytimes.com/section/obituaries) - [Headway](https://www.nytimes.com/section/headway) - [Visual Investigations](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/visual-investigations) - [The Magazine](https://www.nytimes.com/section/magazine) ### Arts - [Book Review](https://www.nytimes.com/section/books/review) - [Best Sellers Book List](https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/) - [Dance](https://www.nytimes.com/section/arts/dance) - [Movies](https://www.nytimes.com/section/movies) - [Music](https://www.nytimes.com/section/arts/music) - [Pop Culture](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/pop-culture) - [Television](https://www.nytimes.com/section/arts/television) - [Theater](https://www.nytimes.com/section/theater) - [Visual Arts](https://www.nytimes.com/section/arts/design) ### Lifestyle - [Health](https://www.nytimes.com/section/health) - [Well](https://www.nytimes.com/section/well) - [Food](https://www.nytimes.com/section/food) - [Restaurant Reviews](https://www.nytimes.com/reviews/dining) - [Love](https://www.nytimes.com/section/fashion/weddings) - [Travel](https://www.nytimes.com/section/travel) - [Style](https://www.nytimes.com/section/style) - [Fashion](https://www.nytimes.com/section/fashion) - [Real Estate](https://www.nytimes.com/section/realestate) - [T Magazine](https://www.nytimes.com/section/t-magazine) ### Opinion - [Today's Opinion](https://www.nytimes.com/section/opinion) - [Columnists](https://www.nytimes.com/section/opinion/columnists) - [Editorials](https://www.nytimes.com/section/opinion/editorials) - [Guest Essays](https://www.nytimes.com/section/opinion/contributors) - [Op-Docs](https://www.nytimes.com/column/op-docs) - [Letters](https://www.nytimes.com/section/opinion/letters) - [Sunday Opinion](https://www.nytimes.com/section/opinion/sunday) - [Opinion Video](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/opinion-video) - [Opinion Audio](https://www.nytimes.com/series/opinion-audio) ### More - [Audio](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/podcasts) - [Games](https://www.nytimes.com/crosswords) - [Cooking](https://cooking.nytimes.com/) - [Wirecutter](https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/) - [The Athletic](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/) - [Jobs](https://www.nytimes.com/section/jobs) - [Video](https://www.nytimes.com/video) - [Graphics](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/graphics) - [Trending](https://www.nytimes.com/trending/) - [Live Events](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/nyt-events) - [Corrections](https://www.nytimes.com/section/corrections) - [Reader Center](https://www.nytimes.com/section/reader-center) - [TimesMachine](https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/browser) - [The Learning Network](https://www.nytimes.com/section/learning) - [School of The NYT](https://nytedu.com/) - [inEducation](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/nytimesineducation) ### Account - [Subscribe](https://www.nytimes.com/subscription) - [Manage My Account](https://www.nytimes.com/account) - [Home Delivery](https://www.nytimes.com/subscription/home-delivery) - [Gift Subscriptions](https://www.nytimes.com/gift) - [Group Subscriptions](https://www.nytimes.com/subscription/groups?Pardot_Campaign_Code_Form_Input=89FQX) - [Gift Articles](https://www.nytimes.com/gift-articles) - [Email Newsletters](https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters) - [NYT Licensing](https://nytlicensing.com/) - [Replica Edition](https://nytimes.pressreader.com/) - [Times Store](https://store.nytimes.com/) ## Site Information Navigation - [© 2026 The New York Times Company](https://help.nytimes.com/hc/en-us/articles/115014792127-Copyright-Notice) - [NYTCo](https://www.nytco.com/) - [Contact Us](https://help.nytimes.com/hc/en-us/articles/115015385887-Contact-The-New-York-Times) - [Accessibility](https://help.nytimes.com/hc/en-us/articles/115015727108-Accessibility) - [Work with us](https://www.nytco.com/careers/) - [Advertise](https://advertising.nytimes.com/) - [T Brand Studio](https://advertising.nytimes.com/custom-content/) - [Privacy Policy](https://help.nytimes.com/hc/en-us/articles/10940941449492-The-New-York-Times-Company-Privacy-Policy) - [Cookie Policy](https://www.nytimes.com/privacy/cookie-policy) - [Terms of Service](https://help.nytimes.com/hc/en-us/articles/115014893428-Terms-of-Service) - [Terms of Sale](https://help.nytimes.com/hc/en-us/articles/115014893968-Terms-of-Sale) - [Site Map](https://www.nytimes.com/sitemap/) - [Canada](https://www.nytimes.com/ca/) - [International](https://www.nytimes.com/international/) - [Help](https://help.nytimes.com/hc/en-us) - [Subscriptions](https://www.nytimes.com/subscription?campaignId=37WXW)
Readable Markdown	Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/article/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html#after-top) When used correctly, many rapid antigen tests are good at detecting people carrying high levels of the virus. ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/12/29/science/29sci-virus-testing-new/merlin_199395150_c4b509e2-7caa-40dc-8ae0-674b63488092-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Rapid at-home Covid test kits being handed out in Chelsea, Mass., on Dec. 17.Credit...Joseph Prezioso/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Jan. 3, 2022 In the early months of the pandemic, getting a [coronavirus test](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/06/us/politics/biden-rapid-covid-tests.html) typically required visiting a health care center, a laboratory or a dedicated testing site, a process that sometimes involved long lines and waiting [a week or more](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/04/us/virus-testing-delays.html) to get the results. Americans [can now take rapid antigen tests](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/29/well/covid-at-home-test.html) from the comfort of their own homes. Many of these tests are available without a prescription and return results in just 15 minutes. Demand for the tests has surged in recent months, as the highly infectious Delta variant has spread and schools and offices have reopened; now the [even more infectious Omicron variant has arrived](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/16/health/coronavirus-omicron-variant.html). “All the manufacturers are ramping up production, but right now they can be hard to find,” said Gigi Gronvall, a testing expert at Johns Hopkins University. Although rapid antigen tests have their limitations, they are an important public health tool, experts said, particularly if you know how to use them. “Having that information and being able to make better decisions is very powerful,” said Mara Aspinall, an expert in biomedical diagnostics at Arizona State University who is also on the board of directors of OraSure, which makes [rapid Covid tests](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/10/health/home-covid-test-kits.html). “And the ability to do this on a while-you-wait basis is something that we couldn’t do a year ago.” ## What kinds of tests are available? A handful of [rapid antigen tests](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/10/health/home-covid-test-kits.html) are available without a prescription, including the Abbott BinaxNOW, the [Ellume Covid-19 Home Test](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/10/health/home-covid-test-kits.html) and the Quidel QuickVue At-Home Covid-19 Test. Prices start at about \$7 per test, although President Biden has announced plans to reduce prices by roughly one-third. All three detect small viral proteins, called antigens. The tests require rubbing a shallow nasal swab inside your nostrils and then exposing the swab to a few drops of chemicals. They provide results in about 15 minutes. The tests themselves are fairly straightforward, but each one involves a slightly different procedure, which should be followed to the letter. “If you’re doing at-home tests, you must read the instructions and follow them meticulously,” said Dr. Patrick Godbey,a former president of the College of American Pathologists. Ms. Aspinall concurred. “This is not the time for creativity,” she said. Image ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/09/29/science/29virus-testing2/merlin_181286319_b6f1eca5-7699-46f6-9377-31b52111857d-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) A demonstration of the Ellume at-home test. Rapid antigen tests are a good option for people who have been exposed to the virus or who want to know whether their sore throat is Covid or just a cold.Credit...Ellume, via Associated Press ## How accurate are rapid antigen tests? Polymerase chain reaction tests, which have typically been considered the gold standard for detecting the virus, are typically performed in a laboratory and involve making many copies of the virus’s genetic material. That process helps P.C.R. tests to detect even minute traces of the virus. Rapid antigen tests, which do not amplify the virus, are less sensitive than P.C.R. tests. If you take one during the earliest phase of an infection, before the virus has replicated widely, the test could return a [false negative](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/15/world/uk-lab-false-negative-tests.html). Some of the at-home rapid antigen testshave an overall sensitivity of roughly 85 percent, which means that they are catching roughly 85 percent of people who are infected with the virus and missing 15 percent. In some studies, their real-world performance [has been even lower](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7003e3.htm). But the tests [are more sensitive](https://www.cochrane.org/CD013705/INFECTN_how-accurate-are-rapid-tests-diagnosing-covid-19) in people with symptoms than without and are most sensitive during the first week of symptoms, studies have found. And antigen tests are excellent at flagging people who have high viral loads — and who are thus most likely to be actively transmitting the virus to others, experts said. “The more virus you have in your nose, the more virus you’re breathing out into the air, and the more virus other people can then breathe in,” Dr. Gronvall said. “The tests are very accurate, and correlate very well with P.C.R., when people are most infectious.” Using the tests repeatedly — to routinely screen students for the virus, for instance — [can compensate for](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abd5393) their lower sensitivity. In [one recent study](https://academic.oup.com/jid/article/224/6/976/6311835), researchers found that when they tested infected college students and employees every three days, rapid antigen tests successfully identified 98 percent of infections, on par with P.C.R. tests. Image ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/10/05/science/29virus-testing1/merlin_177156999_75f26c8f-9456-4ceb-a9dc-d7f7cca99b4a-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Abbott Labs’s BinaxNOW rapid antigen test.Credit...Abbott Labs, via Reuters ## When and how should I use them? Rapid at-home antigen tests are a good option for people who have been exposed to the virus, who want to know whether a sore throat is Covid-19 or just a cold, or who want a little bit of extra assurance before visiting a vulnerable relative or after traveling to a virus hot spot, experts said. People with symptoms can take a rapid antigen test immediately, experts said, but those who have had a known exposure to the virus should wait three to five days before doing so. Testing too soon, before the virus has had a chance to replicate, increases the odds of a [false negative](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/15/world/uk-lab-false-negative-tests.html). “And that is a critical, critical piece,” Ms. Aspinall said. “There are a lot of people taking a plane, getting off the plane and saying, ‘I’m negative — I can go visit Grandma.’” Some businesses, travel authorities and other organizations may not accept the results of at-home tests when proof of a negative test result is required, however. ## I tested negative. Now what? Rapid antigen tests work best when they are used serially. If you test negative after a possible or known exposure to the virus,or after developing symptoms of Covid-19, you should take a second test a day or two later, experts said. “Tests are a moment in time,” Dr. Gronvall said. “You don’t know the day or the hour” that the virus “breached your immune defenses and took up residence.” But until the tests are cheaper and more readily available, it may be difficult to persuade people to use them frequently, she noted. “We definitely need more tests on the market, and we need them to be lower cost,” Dr. Gronvall said. ## I tested positive. Now what? Rapid antigen tests are highly specific, which means that they generate relatively few false positives. However, a positive result is more likely to be a false positive when the prevalence of the virus is low; in these instances, people may want to take a second test. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [recommends lab-based molecular tests](https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/lab/resources/antigen-tests-guidelines.html#anchor_1631295313910), like a P.C.R. test, for confirmatory testing.) But experts recommended not waiting for the results of a second test to begin taking precautions. If you test positive, you should isolate yourself, monitor your symptoms and seek medical care if necessary. Consumers should also report positive results to their local health authorities. “If we don’t report tests accurately, we still won’t have a good idea of the actual caseload — how many people are running around that might be contagious, that might be passing this along to other folks,” Dr. Godbey said. [Emily Anthes](https://www.nytimes.com/by/emily-anthes) is a reporter for The New York Times, where she focuses on science and health and covers topics like the coronavirus pandemic, vaccinations, virus testing and Covid in children. A version of this article appears in print on Oct. 5, 2021, Section D, Page 4 of the New York edition with the headline: At-Home Covid Tests: Valuable, if Used Right. [Order Reprints](https://nytimes.wrightsmedia.com/) \\| [Today’s Paper](https://www.nytimes.com/section/todayspaper) \\| [Subscribe](https://www.nytimes.com/subscriptions/Multiproduct/lp8HYKU.html?campaignId=48JQY) ## Related Content [Coronavirus in New York](https://www.nytimes.com/news-event/coronavirus-new-york) Tracking all the latest news and updates on the coronavirus in the New York region. - ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2025/12/16/multimedia/16nytoday-vmth/16nytoday-vmth-thumbLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Yehyun Kim for The New York Times - ![Sandy Lachhman and Shaun Parmassar in front of their home, purchased in 2022 right before interest rates went up.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2025/11/16/multimedia/16biz-stuck-homeowners-01-qgph/16biz-stuck-homeowners-01-qgph-thumbLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Janice Chung for The New York Times - Amir Hamja for The New York Times [More in Health](https://www.nytimes.com/section/health) - ![Derrick Wynne was discharged from the Army for refusing a Covid shot. “He was using our movement to gain a huge amount of traction,” he said of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2025/12/05/multimedia/00hs-antivax-pqbj/00hs-antivax-pqbj-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Callaghan O'Hare for The New York Times - ![Uptake of the vaccine has been slow, like at this public health fair at The University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Greenville, S.C.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/03/multimedia/03nat-measles-southcarolina-01-kcqv/03nat-measles-southcarolina-01-kcqv-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Kaoly Gutierrez for The New York Times - ![Beate Uhse in 1971, in front of her mail-order company headquarters in Flensburg, Germany.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/06/obituaries/06whm-uhse-obit/06whm-uhse-obit-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Hesslefors/ullstein bild, via Getty Images - ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/03/science/03sci-SPAN-financial-predators/03sci-SPAN-financial-predators-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Federica Bordoni Editors’ Picks - ![On certain Boeing 737 and Airbus A321 jets, row 11 offers a seat sold as a window view that shows, instead, a wall. The discovery tends to arrive after boarding.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/26/multimedia/00xp-Seat11A-cvmj/00xp-Seat11A-cvmj-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Shutterstock - ![A TikTok debate erupted after a bride said she was banning the slicked-back bun from her bridesmaids’ hairstyles.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/08/multimedia/08ST-SBB-WEDDINGS-bmhg/08ST-SBB-WEDDINGS-bmhg-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Getty Images Trending in The Times - ![Kristi Noem testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, where her comments led the president to fire her later in the week.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/06/multimedia/06dc-trump-noem-gmpc/06dc-trump-noem-gmpc-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times - ![“We are still very open in Paris,” said Nicolas Fournery, a gallerist who is showing at TEFAF for the second year. “When you compare with the United States and other countries, they are closing, but we are not in the same mood in France.”](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/06/multimedia/06sp-tefaf-paris-inyt-03-bwpm/06sp-tefaf-paris-inyt-03-bwpm-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times - ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/06/well/06WELL-TREADMILL-TREND2/06WELL-TREADMILL-TREND2-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Getty Images - ![The original Oat Mafia members: from left, Kevin Connelly, Martin Larsen and Tom Pyfferoen. They remember growing oats when they were younger for animal feed. Now they are growing it for people.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/27/multimedia/00nat-oat-mafia-01-hmcz/00nat-oat-mafia-01-hmcz-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Tim Gruber for The New York Times - ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/07/opinion/07calabresi-hennigan-image/07calabresi-hennigan-image-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Illustration by Sam Whitney/The New York Times - ![Flushing, Queens is home to a bustling enclave of Asian Americans.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/06/multimedia/06re-queenscasino-ctlk/06re-queenscasino-ctlk-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Graham Dickie for The New York Times - ![Ashton James in “Youngblood.”](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/06/multimedia/05cul-youngblood-review-gfqk/05cul-youngblood-review-gfqk-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Well Go USA - ![The casket of the Rev. Jesse Jackson arrived at the House of Hope for a service in Chicago on Friday morning.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/06/multimedia/06nat-jackson-funeral-am-gwzh/06nat-jackson-funeral-am-gwzh-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times - ![The lone set of stairs in the Fremont View apartment building in Seattle. With just one staircase, the eight-story multifamily building, which opened in 2024, could be built on a smaller lot.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/18/multimedia/00biz-square-feet-single-staircases-01-gzkl/00biz-square-feet-single-staircases-01-gzkl-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Grant Hindsley for The New York Times - ![“Living takes work,” Anjimile said. “Sometimes, it’s really hard but I feel like I have a base line now of ‘I’m going to be OK.’”](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/05/multimedia/04cul-anjimile-01-qzvh/04cul-anjimile-01-qzvh-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Sebastian Siadecki for The New York Times Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/article/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html#after-bottom)
Shard	84 (laksa)
Root Hash	4566504020376537684
Unparsed URL	com,nytimes!www,/article/at-home-covid-tests-accuracy.html s443