Frequently asked questions about COVID-19 testing

If you suspect you may have COVID-19, contact your doctor or an authorized healthcare provider immediately for guidance. Your healthcare provider can review your symptoms to determine what testing is appropriate. If COVID-19 diagnostic testing for active infection makes sense for you, your healthcare provider will direct you where to get tested. Diagnostic testing includes collecting your samples (for example, nose or throat swab). Your respiratory samples will be sent to Quest for advanced testing to determine if you are positive for COVID-19 or not.

You are considered "recovered" from COVID-19 and no longer infectious if it has been at least 10 days from start of your first symptoms, and at least 24 hours without a fever, and all other symptoms have improved.

Additionally, an antibody test may be able to detect if you have previously had an infection and already recovered—even if you never experienced symptoms. Detecting antibodies indicates you may possibly have a lower risk of getting COVID-19 again. However, more research is needed because it is not yet known how long antibodies will last after infection and whether antibodies offer short- and/or long-term protection against getting infected again.^a

Yes. Quest is one of the labs processing the complex COVID-19 testing during this public health emergency.

For diagnosis of an active COVID-19 infection, check if you’re eligible for a $0 out-of-pocket test. Testing and sample collection are available at a variety of locations, including Walmart® pharmacy drive-thrus and other participating retail locations. Those without any COVID-19 symptoms also have the option of going to select Quest Patient Service Centers. Appointments are required at all locations. If you are not eligible or want the convenience of testing at home, purchase an at-home kit through Quest's online store. Learn more about active infection testing.

Current COVID-19 infections may also be detected with a rapid antigen test. Results are typically ready in just 15 to 30 minutes. See if you’re eligible to schedule an appointment for $0 out-of-pocket testing. Testing is for ages 2+, regardless of symptoms. Learn more about rapid antigen testing.

If your healthcare provider is unsure what is causing your respiratory symptoms, they may recommend a COVID-19 and Flu or a COVID-19, Flu, and RSV combination test. A single sample is collected via nasal swab to be tested for multiple viral infections. The test results of this combination test will rule in or rule out each of the viral infections. Learn more about the COVID-19 + flu panel or the COVID-19, Flu, and RSV test.

If you may have already been exposed to COVID-19, you may be eligible for antibody testing. To get tested for COVID-19 antibodies, you can order the test for yourself here. This allows you to get tested without waiting to go your doctor first. Or, you can reach out to your doctor or healthcare provider and have them submit an order for your test. Learn more about antibody testing options.

The symptoms of COVID-19 can be very similar to other respiratory infections like influenza or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). So different combination tests are available to help determine which illness is making you sick. There is 1 combination test for COVID-19 and Flu, and another combination test for COVID-19, the Flu, and RSV.

With just 1 combination test, you and your doctor can determine if you have COVID-19, the flu, or RSV. It eliminates the need for multiple tests or doctor visits, and can help you get the right treatment plan as soon as possible.

The co-testing approach helps increase testing capacity, especially during the busy flu season, and speeds up the time to a diagnosis.

Lab test accuracy is measured in two ways—specificity and sensitivity. The antibody tests currently offered by Quest Diagnostics have specificity values of 99.6% to 100% which keeps false positive results to a minimum. The antibody test sensitivity values are approximately 90% to 100%.

Quest’s antibody tests have met robust validation standards and have been granted Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) by the FDA for public health and clinical use. It is not yet known how effective this test is at detecting antibodies in those that have been vaccinated. Additionally, how long antibodies remain detectable after infection or vaccination and how long protection, if any, may last is also not known. The results of this test should not be interpreted as an indication of degree of immunity or protection.

Additionally, Quest verifies the tests using strict criteria for precision, reproducibility, accuracy, method comparison, cross-reactivity, and clinical performance.

The active infection (molecular) tests currently performed by Quest have been validated for FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the current pandemic. However, no COVID-19 active infection tests have clinical sensitivity and specificity data at this time. Learn more about the analytical validation studies to earn FDA EUA designation.

It is important to note that rapid antigen tests are less accurate than molecular tests, so your doctor may recommend a molecular test when your antigen test result does not make sense with your symptoms and exposure history. For example, when the antigen test says you are infected but you do not have symptoms (and have not been exposed recently). Another example is when your antigen test says you are not infected but you have symptoms. Rapid antigen tests have their best accuracy within 7 days of symptoms starting. Accuracy and the clinical significance of results beyond the 7 days is not known.

If you suspect you have COVID-19 or were recently in contact with someone who had it, a swab test can tell you whether you have an active infection. Knowing if you currently have COVID-19 gives you the information you need to self-isolate and protect everyone around you.

If you suspect that you had a recent or prior COVID-19 infection, even if you never showed signs of being sick, you can take an antibody blood test to confirm prior infection.

Understanding your antibody status also gives you and your healthcare provider the insight to make an informed decision about returning to activity. Other reasons why it’s beneficial to know if you are positive for COVID-19 antibodies include:

• Track evidence of your antibodies over time
• Encouraging those you were in contact with to talk to their doctor about getting tested
• Reducing the need to be monitored and retested for COVID-19 infection
• Donating plasma for those who are seriously ill from COVID-19 Learn how to donate plasma
• Doing your part to slow the spread of the virus by being counted in global pandemic statistics

Typically, the quickest way to get your test results is having them sent to you automatically through your secure MyQuest online portal. If you don’t already have a MyQuest account, signing up is free and easy.

Yes.

Testing for an active COVID-19 infection can be purchased online through Quest's online store. If you purchase a test, you can get an at-home collection kit delivered to you or make an appointment at a drive-thru collection site.

Testing for COVID-19 antibodies can be purchased online here. Once the test is purchased, you can make an appointment at a Quest patient service center if you have been symptom-free for at least 10 days.

The cost of tests through Quest's online store cannot be submitted to health insurance.

Pooling is a testing technique that allows the lab to mix a portion of several patient samples together (up to 4 in the Quest test) to create one “pooled” sample for testing. If the pooled sample is negative, that indicates all the patient samples are negative. If the pooled sample is positive (or invalid/inconclusive), then each patient sample is tested again individually to identify which is positive. Pooling helps labs get more testing done faster. It is useful for testing groups of people that are unlikely to have a high number of positive results. For example, pooling is used by blood banks to test blood donations for a variety of viruses. Pooling and other lab innovations have increased Quest’s ability to meet the demand for COVID-19 testing across the country.

Yes, our COVID-19 molecular (eg, PCR) tests can currently identify COVID-19 infections regardless of strain, including the Omicron variant.

Test results will indicate whether an individual is currently infected with COVID-19 but will not indicate variant. 

Yes, Quest offers COVID-19 molecular (eg, PCR) testing at most of our Patient Service Centers and additional retail partner locations. 

You must either have an order from your doctor, have purchased a test at questhealth.com, or have scheduled an appointment for a $0 out-of-pocket test. As part of the appointment scheduling process, you will see locations that match your situation. You cannot purchase tests at the Patient Service Centers. 

Quest has strong safety procedures in place at all times to protect patients and employees from coming into contact with any infectious diseases.  We have taken more precautions that make it easier to access the testing you need from Quest.

Peace of mind measures include:

• Encouraging online scheduling to limit your wait time and the number of people in waiting rooms
• Encouraging patients with severe symptoms (fever or flu-like symptoms) to reschedule for when they are feeling better
• Recommending that patients feeling unwell should protect themselves and others by wearing a mask
• Offering a text alert option that allows patients to wait for appointments outside

Yes, Quest has a history of providing advanced infectious disease testing during public health emergencies. Quest was the first national commercial provider to offer Zika and 2009 H1N1 influenza testing, which was emergency-use authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Today, Quest brings that same level of urgency and care to COVID-19 testing for you and your family. Learn more about infectious disease testing.

Yes. Quest has steadily increased COVID-19 testing capacity to meet the growing demand from patients, hospitals, and healthcare providers in our communities.