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As COVID-19 cases rise, there continues to be crushing demand for at-home rapid tests, but how accurate are they and how should they be used?

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The tests have skyrocketed in popularity this holiday season. A lot of people used them before gathering or because of long lines to get PCR tests.

People are lining up to get at-home COVID-19 tests, stores can't keep them in stock. Most are rapid antigen tests, different than the gold standard PCR tests.

"They're much better at detecting you when you are potentially infectious, meaning you have a lot of virus, particularly in your nose, your upper respiratory tract," virologist Dr. Andrew Pekosz, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said.

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Pekosz said PCR tests are more sensitive and can pick up on smaller particles of the virus, so if you test negative on a home test, it's not a guarantee you're not infected but you're probably not contagious.

"It probably means for the next six hours, seven hours or so, you certainly won't be able to have a high likelihood of spreading the infection," Pekosz said.

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So, he said they're great to use before going to an event or family gathering.

And if you think you might be infected you can use multiple rapid tests over a short period of time to confirm. Each brand of test is different to use, so getting accurate results is about two critical things.

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"One is to get the sample the right way so you really have to follow the instructions in terms of are you swabbing your nose or your throat and to follow the instructions on how you get the swab, and then the critical thing is waiting long enough for the test result to really read through to the little device you get with that," the doctor said.

And if you get a positive result on a home test, it's a good idea to confirm with a PCR and report it to your doctor.

"One of the things we don't want is a lot of people testing positive at home and not reporting back to public health authorities that they're infected because then we won't get an accurate count of how many people are infected at any time," Pekosz said.

ANNAPOLIS: The Annapolis Office of Emergency Management, in partnership with the Annapolis Fire Department and the Eastport Volunteer Fire Co., will host a free COVID-19 at-home rapid test giveaway at Eastport Fire Station 36 (914 Bay Ridge Ave.) beginning at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Supplies are limited. Only two tests will be given per household. People will have the option of walking up to obtain a test or utilizing our drive-up line.

For those wishing to walk up, use the Bay Ridge Ave entrance. Those who wish to use the walk-up line must wear a mask. Motorists will be directed to enter the drive-thru using President Street onto Madison Street.

HARFORD COUNTY: The Harford County Department of Health is distributing test kits at every library branch Thursday beginning at 10 a.m., while supplies last. (More information)

| MORE: Where to get COVID-19 test kits in Maryland

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