There are a few different types of testing for COVID-19, including nucleic-based acid testing, serology or antibody testing, and rapid antigen tests. Each of these tests has particular methods to identify the past or present presence of COVID-19. With the nucleic-based acid testing, also known as molecular or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, nasopharyngeal swabs are taken from nasal secretions in the nose and back of the throat to look for the COVID-19 pathogen in the individual’s deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). Since PCR testing looks for the actual COVID-19 pathogen, it is particularly well-suited to detecting the virus in its early stages. PCR testing is the most commonly used test for COVID-19 detection. Serology or antibody testing looks for antibodies generated by the individual’s immune system in response to the COVID-19 virus. These antibodies are found in your blood. As such, the test is conducted by drawing a small vial of blood from the patient’s arm. It can take one to two weeks for these antibodies to develop. As such, antibody testing is not typically used to diagnose COVID-19 in the immediate sense but is more effective for determining if a person has recovered from the novel coronavirus. Rapid antigen testing is in the early stages of development. As such, the reliability of these tests is not fully understood or ironed out. However, the benefits of this type of testing have great potential. It also relies on nasopharyngeal swabs from the nose and back of the throat. Still, it uses the same method as a rapid strep test, looking for molecules on the surface of the novel coronavirus that appear on a test strip as a result of a chemical reaction.