Two types of COVID-19 tests, the rapid antigen test and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, are available in the United States. The PCR typically relies on lab testing and is still considered ...

Researchers often call the polymerase chain reaction test – known as the PCR test – "the gold standard" for detecting the COVID-19 virus. The test is considered highly reliable and effective, and it ...

For Rachel Robles, getting diagnosed with Long COVID was an uphill battle. She caught the virus in March 2020, when nearly nothing was known about its long-term effects and testing was inaccessible ...

If you had COVID-19 symptoms in 2020, you probably would have masked up and braved a visit to a laboratory, doctor’s office, or clinic to get a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. A health care ...

Molecular tests are far superior to rapid antigen tests—and now you can get them for home use. Amanda Blum is a freelancer who writes about smart home technology, gardening, and food preservation.