​People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.

These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Diarrhea
• Chills
• Repeated shaking with chills
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Sore throat
• New loss of taste or smell

Symptom Checker

Use the CDC online tool to help you make decisions and seek appropriate medical care.

Additionally, when you download the COVID Alert PA app, you can input how you are feeling each day and report if you are experiencing symptoms. This will help if you later test positive for COVID-19 and are asked when asked when your symptoms started.

• Individuals who have been in close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case should be tested regardless of the presence of symptoms. Close contacts are people who have been within 6 feet of a person with a confirmed COVID-19 infection for at least 15 minutes.
• Persons who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 and have received a booster vaccine or are within 6 months of receiving their primary vaccine series should wear a mask around others for 10 days, but do not need to quarantine.
  
• Persons who are unvaccinated or who are eligible (i.e., more than 6 months after primary vaccine series) but have not yet received a booster vaccine must quarantine at home for 5 days, and then wear a mask around others until Day 10.
  
• All exposed persons regardless of vaccination should test on Day 5 if possible. Find a testing site in Pennsylvania.

​View the COVID-19 Patient Instructions for Self-Isolation While Awaiting Laboratory Results

​For non-health care personnel (This guidance does NOT apply to healthcare settings, non-healthcare congregate settings, or persons at higher risk for severe disease):

• Regardless of vaccination status, persons who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate for 5 days. If after 5 days, the patient is asymptomatic or has resolving symptoms, their isolation period is over; however, they should still wear a mask around others until day 10.
• Persons who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 and have received a booster vaccine or are within 6 months of receiving their primary vaccine series should wear a mask around others for 10 days, but do not need to quarantine.
• Persons who are unvaccinated or who are eligible (i.e., more than 6 months after primary vaccine series) but have not yet received a booster vaccine must quarantine at home for 5 days, and then wear a mask around others until Day 10.
• All exposed persons regardless of vaccination should test on Day 5 if possible.
  

​No. At-home tests are not reported to DOH.

If you test positive on an at-home test, you should isolate for at least 5 days. You can end isolation after 5 full days if you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved. You should continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others at home and in public for 5 additional days. You should also tell your close contacts that they may have been exposed to COVID-19. If your illness becomes severe, seek medical attention. View more information about quarantine and isolation.

While at-home test results may not be included in the department's data, there is an abundance of other PCR and antigen test results being reported from traditional testing channels daily, therefore DOH has a large sample to maintain reporting COVID-19 incidence rates and trends on our COVID-19 dashboard.

1. Diagnostic Tests
Assesses the presence of the virus at a given point in time. A negative means only that an individual was negative at the time the test.

• Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Tests and Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing:  Detects the RNA genetic material in the COVID-19 virus and are often collected via nasal pharyngeal; mid turbinate; nasal, oral or throat swab; or saliva collection.
  
• Antigen Tests: Not currently widely utilized. Detects the presence of COVID-19 specific protein particles and is collected via a respiratory sample.

2. Non-Diagnostic Tests

• Serology (Antibody) Tests: Detect antibodies in the blood indicating possible prior exposure to COVID-19, which may develop 6-14 days after infection.

Note: No test is perfect. There is a false negative rate and false positive rate that varies depending on the test and the collection modality. Accuracy of antigen tests may be problematic due to poor sensitivity.

​

Antigen test cards are a timely, quick and easy-to-use tool for communities to receive rapid COVID-19 testing.  Antigen tests look for pieces of proteins that make up the SARS-CoV-2 virus. On Wednesday, October 14, the Department of Health began distributing rapid antigen test cards to Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified institutions across Pennsylvania by county. As of March 2021, over 2.9M tests have been distributed to over 1,000 locations.

• View the distribution list.
  
• View the rapid antigen test fact sheet.
• View the SOH Order on Antigen Testing Reporting.

​Check with your insurance company. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act and CARES Act do not require an insurance company to pay for a test unless you have symptoms or a known or recent exposure to COVID-19 and it has been determined to be medically necessary for you by an attending healthcare provider.

View more information about COVID-19 testing insurance coverage.

​Through the work of a number of entities, testing is accessible for Pennsylvanians. As entities such as pharmacies offer testing (some still require symptoms), more Pennsylvanians can get tested close to home. While most COVID-19 tests are performed using a nasopharyngeal (NP) swab, many of the publicly accessible sites are using anterior nasal or nasal swabs that are less invasive. Where an NP swab is inserted deep enough to contact the nasopharynx at the back of the nasal cavity administered by a medical professional, a nasal swab is only inserted roughly 0.5 inches inside the nostril and can be self-administered. Both of these collection methods can be a bit uncomfortable, but neither should be painful.  

As of January 19, 2022, all households are eligible to order free at-home, rapid COVID-19 tests (four per residential address). These rapid tests are completely free and can be self-administered. Please visit covidtests.gov for more information and to place your order.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH), in partnership with Concentric by Ginkgo Bioworks (Ginkgo), is offering COVID-19 testing services at no cost to all K-12 Schools across the Commonwealth, with the exception of schools within Philadelphia county, for the entire 2022-2023 school year.  

This K-12 testing program is voluntary and free for schools and participants. Participating schools can choose from several testing options when opting in the program. Participating schools that plan to administer Point of Care (POC) antigen testing onsite may utilize the DOH's Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) Certificate of Waiver to comply with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) laboratory testing regulations.  

To opt in to this K–12 COVID-19 school testing program, school leaders must complete the Statement of Assurances form and submit the completed form to RA-DHK12COVIDTEST@pa.gov. Upon submission of the completed Statement of Assurances form, the school will be deemed an "Authorized School" for participation in the program.

• View the K-12 Pooled Testing Guidance
  
• View the K-12 Testing Program Data