You will receive an email at the email address you provided during your registration for the online portal. You should receive this result within 48 to 72 hours after your sample is collected.

Only designated health professionals and contact tracers have access to test results. Northshore Clinical Labs is required by law to notify DC Health of any positive results. Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 will receive a call from DC Health for contact tracing purposes.

The PCR test utilized by Northshore Laboratory has a 99% accuracy rate, meaning that the probability of a false positive for the PCR swab is very slim. PCR testing is considered the gold standard for COVID-19 testing.

The PCR test is a point-in-time test that is dependent on how much of the virus you are shedding at the time of the swab. If you received a positive test result for any PCR test, it is recommended that you quarantine for at least ten (10) days, follow CDC guidelines and direct any questions to your primary care physician.

All insurance providers are covering the cost of a PCR test regardless of what plan you have. We collect the information to bill the insurance company. There should be no medical-related cost or co-pay for the person being tested.

Northshore Clinical Labs seeks reimbursement from your insurance carrier (or Medicare, Medicaid, etc.). If you do not have insurance, we are reimbursed by the state subsidizing COVID-19 testing through Federal support.

Your personally identifiable information shared with Northshore Labs is uploaded to a secure software program used to process the tests. Any information collected via the paper form is filed for ten (10) days and then destroyed.

Antibody or serology tests look for antibodies in your blood to determine if you had a past infection with the virus that causes COVID-19.

The Antibody test is very accurate in identifying the presence of COVID-19 associated antibodies in your system.

A positive test result shows you may have antibodies from an infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. However, there is a chance that a positive result means you have antibodies from an infection with a different virus from the same family of viruses (called coronaviruses). Note: Other coronaviruses cannot produce a positive result on a PCR test for SARS-CoV-2

Antibodies help you fight off infections and can protect you from future reinfection. How long this protection may last is different for each virus and each person. There is no guarantee that you cannot get COVID-19 even after testing positive for the antibodies. Confirmed and suspected cases of reinfection have been reported but remain rare.

A rapid test is a rapid diagnostic test suitable for point-of-care testing that directly detects the presence or absence of an antigen. It is useful for obtaining quick results. The accuracy of the test is much lower than a PCR test that detects the presence of the virus’s genetic material in your body. For an antigen test, one must have a threshold amount of the virus to be detectable. Hence there may be false negatives - meaning you may result as negative, but you have COVID-19.

The Polymerase Chain Reaction Test (PCR) detects RNA (or genetic material) specific to the virus. The test can detect the virus within days of infection, even for those who have no symptoms. The PCR nasal swab test has an accuracy of 99%.

The rapid tests have a higher likelihood of both false negatives and positives. It is recommended that you take a PCR test in addition to the rapid antigen test.

The CDC recommends that vaccinated persons should continue to undergo testing. However, if you have had COVID-19 within the last 90 days, the CDC recommends that a COVID-19 test is not required. UDC is mandating that certain individuals are tested each week, as determined by their risk factors.