'Is it the season for COVID-19 testing? This is what you need to know.

This is the time when holiday parties abound throughout the year. Although this season requires joy and celebration with friends and relatives, the world is still in a pandemic.

This holiday may include testing many people for COVID-19, even if they are fully vaccinated.

Below are some common questions and answers about the test to help you solve the problem.

Experts say that if you start to experience symptoms of COVID-19, including headaches, coughing, difficulty breathing, and fatigue, it is important to get tested.

Even if you do not have any symptoms, it is a good idea to get tested if you know you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends testing within 7 days of exposure.

"I do think that, in general, testing has been increasing," said Dr. Nimmi Rajagopal, vice chair of Family and Community Medicine in the Cook County Department of Health. "Our clinic has been conducting tests... We have seen an increase in the number of tests at home."

The two most common tests are PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and antigen. Both analyze a swab sample (usually from your nose) to detect the virus that causes COVID-19.

PCR tests are carried out in hospitals, clinics and other places, and it takes several days to give results. Antigen tests can give results in 30 minutes or less, but they are considered inaccurate. Home kits use antigen detection.

If you want to be tested before a social event, Rajagopal recommends “do PCR testing a few days before you go to see everyone, and then perform antigen testing on the same day to be extra careful. This way you can clearly understand whether you can interact with other people. Let's visit together."

If you attended a party and later learned that you were in contact with a COVID-19 patient, Rajagopal recommends that you take a PCR test if you do not have any symptoms. But if you have symptoms, she recommends that you stay at home and use an antigen test kit.

Rajagopal said that PCR results will take longer because the test is sent for analysis. Despite this, she still believes that PCR "is a good screening test, especially if someone has no symptoms."

Home test kits can be purchased at pharmacies and can be purchased without a prescription. A box with two tests usually costs about $25. Include swab, test solution, and instructions.

Most healthcare institutions—hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices—and many pharmacies currently offer PCR testing. They usually need an appointment, although some people may need an appointment. It's better to check it instead of just showing up.

If you have health insurance, federal law requires your insurance company to pay for testing when you have symptoms, have been exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 case, or when your doctor orders testing. This is according to the Chicago Department of Public Health, which has extensive testing information.

If you do not have health insurance, CDPH recommends that you ask whether the test site charges. The federal government compensates websites that provide testing to people who are not insured.

It depends on where you go. For example, most pharmacies arrange separate tests and booster injections. Check your preferred test location to see if you can also get a booster during the visit.

Experts recommend that people who are actively infected with COVID-19 at the time should not receive booster doses.

Most pharmacy website questionnaires will ask you whether you have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days. If you have one, the pharmacy will not allow you to schedule an intensive appointment (until later).

If you test positive for COVID-19, the result will not tell you which variant you have.

The test “just tells whether someone is positive or negative,” Rajagopal said.

"Delta is still the most important variant in the country," she added, but omicron has been found in the United States, including in Chicago.

Rajagopal said that she had heard of some people who tested negative for COVID-19 but had cold symptoms and wondered if wearing a mask would protect other people they met at the party.

"People might think that if they have symptoms and wear a mask, they won't infect something to others," she said. "But you have to remember that many other viruses are not only spread through the respiratory tract. Therefore, they can be spread by touching a surface or something."

Adora Namigadde is a subway reporter for WBEZ. Follow her @adorakn.