What a positive (or negative) COVID-19 test result means
Positive test result
If you get a positive result, it means it’s very likely you have COVID-19.
Try to stay home and avoid contact with other people for:
- 3 days if you are under 18 years
- 5 days if you are 18 or over
Get advice about COVID-19 symptoms and what to do
If you’re eligible for COVID-19 treatments and you get a positive result, call your GP surgery, NHS 111 or hospital specialist as soon as possible.
Find out more about treatments for COVID-19
Negative test result
If you get a negative result, it means it’s unlikely you have COVID-19.
There’s still a chance you could have the virus, so you should follow the advice on how to avoid catching and spreading COVID-19.
If you’re eligible for COVID-19 treatments and you get a negative result, you need to do a total of 3 rapid lateral flow tests over 3 days (1 test a day) if you continue to have COVID-19 symptoms.
Find out more about treatments for COVID-19
Test result could not be read
If your test result could not be read (some tests may call this a void result), it’s not possible to say if you had COVID-19 when the test was done.
Do another test as soon as possible.
