Should You Still Be Testing for COVID? 

With the return of cold and flu season also comes the return of runny noses, scratchy throats, mystery coughs and concerns about rising cases of COVID-19 — all of which will increase the demand for COVID tests.

While COVID cases and hospitalizations are on the rise, it is important to remember that not every cough and sniffle indicates that a person has COVID. But it can make the decision about whether to get tested for the virus tricky.

Who should take a COVID test?

Otto Yang, M.D., an expert in infectious diseases at the University of California Los Angeles, told The Messenger via email that although testing recommendations have not seen a lot of change recently, there are some people who should be more deliberate about their decision to test for COVID.

“Certainly for anyone who is at special risk (older, immunocompromised) who would merit treatment, they should test any time they have symptoms, since early treatment is key,” Dr. Yang says.

When should you test for COVID?

Although the COVID testing landscape has changed immensely over the last three years, the recommendations on when to test have remained more consistent, though they have become much more relaxed since 2020.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that anyone who has COVID symptoms — fever, fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, body aches, sore throat or headache — test for COVID immediately, either in a clinic or at home with a self-test kit. 

COVID exposures also continue to warrant testing. The CDC says that anyone who has a known COVID exposure should take a test five days afterwards. If the test is negative, another test can be taken 48 hours later to confirm the results.

Should you take an at-home test or go to a clinic?

There are two types of tests: antigen and molecular.

Most at-home tests are the antigen type. These are convenient, easy to use and accurate, although not as accurate as molecular tests, Daniel Rhoads, M.D., of Cleveland Clinic's Pathology and Laboratory Institute, previously told The Messenger. 

“SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests are valuable because they are relatively inexpensive, quick, handy, and mostly accurate when used within the first few days of symptoms,” Dr. Rhoads says.

Molecular tests are more accurate than antigen tests. These are most often completed in a clinical setting. They include polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests — the gold-standard tests a doctor’s office might use — nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) and other amplification tests that can determine a virus’ genetic material.

“These are useful because the sensitivity for detecting SARS-CoV-2 is better than antigen testing, and depending on the clinical needs of a patient, testing for additional viruses like influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can often be performed at the same time,” Dr. Rhoads says.

Are we going to run out of tests?

Since the summer surge of COVID-19 cases started in mid-July, the demand for tests has skyrocketed. With cold and flu season right around the corner, it’s likely that those demands will continue to rise.

According to Walgreens, the demand for PCR tests at their clinics has significantly increased recently, rising 110% between July 11 and September 11.

However, there is no need to panic — COVID test manufacturers have indicated that they are prepared for the uptick in demand.

Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration recently updated their guidance on at-home test kits. Certain kits had their expiration dates extended, which will increase the number of currently available kits.