Did you find this answer helpful? Subscribe to keep up with all things Lifelong Learning.
How soon after someone was exposed to Covid-19 can they be tested reliably for the virus, even if they are asymptomatic?
The PCR or molecular diagnostic tests can be performed as soon as a person has viruses from the nose, pharynx, deep nasal passages that can be picked up from the swab (nasal, throat, nasopharyngeal). As long as the viruses are present in sufficient quantity to detect, then the test is pretty good at picking it up. We used to think that people who were asymptomatic would have less virus, but that doesn’t seem to be true all the time. From exposure to the time a person will begin to have detectable viruses in the upper respiratory tract it may take 2-5 days.
