What COVID-19 test should I do?

1. You have COVID-19 symptoms. It is especially important to get a test if you are at higher risk of severe illness. This is so that you can access early treatment including antiviral medicines.
2. You live with someone who has COVID-19. Test regularly for at least 7 days, even if you do not develop symptoms. This is very important if you are at higher risk of severe illness or are in contact with people at higher risk of severe illness. See advice for people exposed to COVID-19 for more information about what to do.

If you are at higher risk of severe illness and have any new symptoms within 4 weeks of recovering from COVID-19, talk to your doctor. Your doctor may recommend further testing including for other viruses such as influenza.

Some people are at higher risk of severe illness (more likely to get very sick, and need hospital care), including:

• all people aged 70 years and older
• people aged over 50 years with additional risk factors, including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease (including moderate or severe asthma requiring inhaled steroids), neurological disease, severe chronic liver or kidney disease, active cancer, those who are not up to date with recommended vaccination
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 30 years and over with additional risk factors listed above
• people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised of any age
• people with significant or complex disability
• pregnant women
• children with complex chronic conditions.

If you live in a remote area and have reduced access to healthcare or are a resident in an aged care or disability care facility, discuss your risk with your doctor. You may also be eligible for antiviral treatment or additional supportive care.

There are 2 types of tests you can take to check if you have COVID-19:

• a rapid antigen test (RAT) that you can do yourself
• a PCR test that can be performed by your doctor, or your doctor might give you a pathology referral form that you take to a private pathology provider location to get tested there.  

If you are at higher risk of severe illness

• Before you have symptoms: Speak to your doctor about which test is right for you before you get sick. Ask if your doctor is able to perform a PCR test or if you need to be given a pathology referral form that you take to a private pathology provider location to get tested there. Ask your doctor if they recommend antiviral medicines or other treatments for COVID-19 if you test positive.
• Already have symptoms or live with someone who has COVID-19: Do a RAT as soon as possible and contact your doctor for testing advice. Your doctor may also recommend a COVID-19 PCR test. Early diagnosis means you can access antiviral medicines quickly. COVID-19 antivirals work best if taken as soon as possible, and within 5 days from when your symptoms start. Read more on antiviral medicines including how to access them if you are eligible.

Find out more about protecting yourself from COVID-19 if you are higher risk of severe illness.

If you are not at higher risk of severe illness:

• Do a RAT. Your doctor may suggest you have a PCR test as well, but you can do a RAT while you wait for your PCR result.

NSW Health recommends you stay at home if you have cold or flu symptoms (runny nose, sore throat, cough, fever) even if you test negative for COVID-19, so you don’t risk infecting other people.

Rapid antigen tests (RATs)

If you have COVID-19 symptoms (runny nose, sore throat, cough and fever) and:

• your RAT is positive, stay home and follow the advice for people testing positive to COVID-19. It is recommended you register your test result with Service NSW. Registering your result helps you access medical support from NSW Health, including antiviral medicines if you are eligible. It also assists NSW Health to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
• your RAT is negative, and you are at higher risk of severe illness, ask your doctor if you should have a PCR test. This will give a more accurate result.
• your RAT is negative, and you are not at higher risk of severe illness, consider doing another RAT 24 hours later. Stay home until your symptoms have settled. If you are worried, talk to your doctor.

If you have no COVID-19 symptoms and:

• your RAT is positive, repeat a RAT or ask your doctor if you should get a PCR test. If you have no COVID-19 symptoms but your PCR test is positive, follow the advice for testing positive to COVID-19. It is recommended you register your test result with Service NSW. Registering your result helps you access medical support from NSW Health, including antiviral medicines if you are eligible. It also assists NSW Health respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
• your RAT is negative; you are unlikely to have COVID-19.

PCR tests

• If you have a positive PCR test result, you likely have COVID-19, even if you don’t have symptoms. You should stay home and follow the advice for people testing positive to COVID-19.

• If you have a negative PCR test result, you are unlikely to have COVID-19 but should stay home until you are well. If you were recently exposed to a person with COVID-19, you should continue to follow the advice for people exposed to COVID-19 as you may still be developing the infection.

Some pathology providers test for multiple viruses and may also send you test results for other viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza.