COVID Testing FAQ

Follow the instructions on this handout for individuals who have tested positive.

First question to ask is which type of test?

• Antigen tests, which account for almost all “rapid” (same day) tests, are in general more likely to provide you with a false-negative result.  Depending on the brand, sensitivity is estimated at 30-85% -- the lowest in people without symptoms.

• PCR (DNA) tests are much more reliable, however, they still are not 100% sensitive, meaning in someone with symptoms typical for COVID, a single negative test result does not put you in the clear.  

Second question is: are you unvaccinated and have you engaged in any risky activities within the 2 weeks before the test?

• The incubation period for COVID-19 is generally considered to be up to 14 days (although longer has occasionally been detected).  If you test too soon, you may be falsely reassured.  In general: you should not rely on any test collected within 5 days of an exposure, and even if you wait until 7 days after an exposure, you will still miss an infection (and still be infectious) 1% of the time. 

Testing requirements and recommendations are listed at the bottom of the surveillance testing page.

For required testing - a list of testing locations and their hours of operations are listed on the surveillance testing page.

In order to have a green testing badge, which clears you for the testing requirements to be on campus, you must get tested through University Health Services.

The testing conducted is a self-administered nasal swab. It won't hurt, but it might be slightly uncomfortable. The test is different from the nasopharyngeal swab, which must be performed by a health care professional and can be painful. See the self-swab instructional PDF and self-swab video for a preview of what to expect.

As is the case for any diagnostic test, patient samples include cells containing patient DNA as part of the respiratory fluids or mucus where SARS-CoV-2 may be present. However, the Innovative Genomics Institute diagnostic laboratory only tests these samples for the presence of two viral genes to provide a diagnostic result, and a single human RNA target, to ensure sufficient sample was provided. There is no sequence analysis performed on these samples during the diagnostic test.

To help combat the COVID-19 pandemic, leftover SARS-CoV-2-positive samples are de-identified and sent for viral sequencing as part of an international effort to track mutations and spread of the virus. Importantly, this project uses a technique that targets the viral genome, not the human genome, and no human genome sequences are processed or stored.

Yes, surveillance testing appointments are required for all locations and can be booked through eTang.

Testing time is about 20 minutes from check-in to test completion. In rare instances, lines have formed at the testing site (for example the first day of testing after winter curtailment last week) but this is not the norm.  Mondays and Tuesdays tend to be the busiest days at the testing sites, so if you do weekly testing, picking a date later in the week might be better.

If you need to enter a university building, you should be prepared to show a green testing badge or green campus access badge (located on the Berkeley Mobile App)

Children participants in the early childhood program and other youth programs are exempt from the testing requirement. UC Berkeley-affiliated parents of participants are strongly encouraged to get tested but are not required to do so, unless they meet a separate requirement for mandatory testing. Teachers and other staff in these programs are included in the mandate.